The objective of this study was to assess and compare the relative accuracy of claims data and patient self-reported information with medical records for Pap smear rates. A retrospective analysis of information obtainedfrom administrative claims files, patient medical records, and a telephone survey was performed of 400 women age 19 through 75years who were randomly selectedfor participation in the study. The data were obtained from a large multispecialty group practice in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the study years 1991 through 1993. Information from administrative claims regarding Pap smear status corresponded highly with information in the medical record (sensitivity 95% or higher; specificity 95% or higher; kappa 0.896 or better). Self-reported information from the telephone survey did not correspond well with medical record information nor with results in administrative claims.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bowman, J. A.
, Redman, S., Dickinson, J. A., Gibberd, R., & Sanson-Fisher, R. W. (1991). The accuracy of Pap smear utilization self-report: A methodological consideration in cervical screening research. Health Services Research, 26, 97-107.
2.
Boyce, J. G.
, Fruchter, R. G., Romanzi, L., Sillman, F. H., & Maiman, M. (1990). The fallacy of the screening interval for cervical smears. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 76, 627-632.
3.
Brown, J. B.
, & Adams, M. E. (1992). Patients as reliable reporters of the medical care process recall of ambulatory encounter events. Medical Care, 30,400-411.
4.
Cohen, M. M.
, Roos, N. P., MacWilliam, L., & Wajda, A. (1992). Assessing physicians' compliance with guidelines for Papanicolaou testing. Medical Care, 30, 514-528.
5.
Department of Health and Human Services
. (1990). Healthy people 2000: National health promotion and disease prevention objectives (DHHS 91-50212). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
6.
Doremus, H. D.
, & Michenzi, E. M. (1983). Data quality: An illustration of its potential impact upon a diagnosis-related group's case-mix index and reimbursement. Medical Care, 21, 1001-1011.
7.
Etzi, S.
, Lane, D. S., & Grimson, R. (1994). The use of mammography vans by low-income women: The accuracy of self-reports. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 107-109.
8.
Fisher, E. S.
, Whaley, F. S., Knushat, W. M., Malenka, D. J., Fleming, C., Baron, J. A., & Hsia, D. C. (1992). The accuracy of Medicare's hospital claims data: Progress has been made, but problems remain. American Journal of Public Health, 82, 243-248.
9.
Fleiss, J. L.
(1981). Statistical methods for rates and proportions (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley.
10.
Fowles, J. B.
, Lawthers, A. G., Weiner, J. P., Garnick, D. W., Petrie, D. S., & Palmer, R. H. (1995). Agreement between physicians' office records and Medicare Part-B claims data. Health Care Financing Review, 16(4), 189-199.
11.
Gentry, E. M.
, Kalsbeek, W. D., Hogelin, G. C., Jones, J. T., Gaines, K. L., Forman, M. R., Marks, J. S., & Trowbridge, F. L. (1985). The behavioral risk factor surveillance surveys: II. Design, methods, and estimates from combined state data. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 1,9-14.
12.
Graft, D. F.
, Fowles, J., McCoy, C. E., & Lager, R. A. (1992). Detection of beta-blocker use in people with asthma. Annals of Allergy, 69, 449-453.
13.
Hargraves, J. L.
, Palmer, R. H., Zapka, J., Nerenz, D., Frazier, H., Orav, E. J., Warner, C., Ingard, J., & Neisuler, R. (1993). Using patient reports to measure health care system performance. Clinical Performance and Quality Health Care, 1(4), 208-213.
14.
Health plan employer data and information set and users'manual, version 2.5. (1995). Washington, DC: National Committee for Quality Assurance.
15.
Hibbard, J. H.
, & Jewett, J. J. (1996). What type of quality information do consumers want in a health care report card?Medical Care Research and Review, 53, 28-47.
16.
Institute for Clinical Systems Integration
. (1995). Health care guideline: Cervical pap smear screening. Minneapolis, MN: Author.
17.
Jackson, C.
, Jatulis, D. E., & Fortmann, S. P. (1992). The behavioral risk factor survey and the Stanford five-city project survey: A comparison of cardiovascular risk behavior estimates. American Journal of Public Health, 82, 412-416.
18.
King, E. S.
, Rimer, B. K., Trock, B., Balshem, A., & Engstrom, P. (1990). How valid are mammography self-reports?American Journal of Public Health, 80, 1386-1388.
19.
Lawthers, A. G.
, Palmer, R. H., Edwards, J. E., Fowles, J., Garnick, D. W., & Weiner, J. P (1993). Developing and evaluating performance measures for ambulatory care quality: A preliminary report of the DEMPAQ Project. Joint Commission Journal on Quality Improvement, 19, 552-565.
20.
Loftus, E. F.
, Smith, K. D., Klinger, M. R., & Fiedler, J. (1992). Memory and mismemory for health events. In J. M. Tanur (Ed.), Questions about questions: Inquiries into the cognitive bases of surveys. New York: Russell Sage.
21.
Long, T.
, & Rogers, K. D. (1975). A limitation in the use of office records for health care evaluation. Pediatrics, 56, 295-296.
22.
Mausner, J. S.
, & Kramer, S. (1985) Epidemiology: An introductory text. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.
23.
McKenna, M. T.
, Mallin, K., Speers, M., & Warnecke, R. (1992). Agreement between patient self-reports and medical records for Pap smear histories. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 8, 287-291.
24.
Means, B.
, Nigam, A., Zarrow, M., Loftus, E. F., & Donaldson, M. S. (1989). Autobiographical memoryforhealth-related events (DHHS [PHS] 89-1077). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
25.
Nelson, E. C.
, Batalden, P. B., Plume, S. K., Mihevc, N. T., & Swartz, W. G. (1995). Report cards or instrument panels: Who needs what?Journal of Quality Improvement, 21, 155-166.
26.
Preventive Services Task Force
. (1989). Guide to clinical preventive services. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins.
27.
Quam, L.
, Ellis, L.B.M., Venus, P., Clouse, J., Taylor, C. G., & Leatherman, S. (1993). Using claims data for epidemiologic research: The concordance of claims-based criteria with the medical record and patient survey for identifying a hypertensive population. Medical Care, 31, 498-507.
28.
Remington, P. L.
, Smith, M. Y, Williamson, D. F., Anda, R. F, Gentry, E. M., & Hogelin, G. C. (1988). Design, characteristics, and usefulness of state-based behavioral risk factor surveillance: 1981-1986. Public Health Reports, 103, 366-375.
29.
Romano, P. S.
(1993) Can administrative data be used to compare the quality of health care?Medical Care Review, 50, 451-477.
30.
Roos, L. L.
, Roos, N. P., Cageorge, S. M., & Nicol, J. P. (1982). How good are the data? Reliability of one health care data bank. Medical Care, 20, 266-276.
31.
Roos, L. L.
, Sharp, S. M., & Cohen, M. M. (1991) Comparing clinical information with claims data: some similarities and differences. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 44, 881-888.
32.
Sawyer, J. A.
, Earp, J. A., Fletcher, R. H., Daye, F. F., & Wynn, T. M. (1989). Accuracy of women's self-report of their last Pap smear. American Journal of Public Health, 79, 1036-1037.
33.
Shea, S.
, Stein, A. D., Lantigua, R., & Basch, C. E. (1991). Reliability of the Behavioral Risk Factor Survey in a triethnic population. American Journal of Epidemiology, 133, 489-500.
34.
Siegel, P. Z.
, Frazier, E. L., Mariolis, P., Brackbill, R. M., & Smith, C. (1993). Behavioral risk factor surveillance, 1991: Monitoring progress toward the nation's Year 2000 health objectives. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: MMWR, 42, 1-30.
35.
Starfield, B.
, Seidel, H., Carter, G., Garvin, W., & Seddon, J. (1973). Private pediatric practice: Performance and problems. Pediatrics, 52, 344-351.
36.
Suarez, L.
, Goldman, D. A., & Weiss, N. S. (1995). Validity of Pap smear and mammogram self-reports in a low-income Hispanic population. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 11, 94-98.
37.
Uniform Data Definitions Committee
. (1992). Reporting standards for Minnesota Department of Human Services. Minneapolis: Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Health Plans.
38.
Whitman, S.
, Lacey, L., Ansell, D., Chen, E. H., Dell, J., & Phillips, C. W. (1993). Do chart reviews and interviews provide the same information about breast and cervical cancer screening?International Journal of Epidemiology, 22, 393-397.
