Factor Analysis in Distinguishing Coronavirus Disease 2019 From Other Influenza-like Illness Using a Validated Patient-Reported Outcome Instrument FLU-PRO Plus: A Prospective Real-world Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: InFLUenza Patient-reported Outcome (FLU-PRO Plus) is a 34-item patient-reported outcome instrument designed to capture the intensity and frequency of viral respiratory symptoms. This study evaluates whether FLU-PRO Plus responses could discriminate between symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and influenza-like illness (ILI) with no COVID diagnosis, as well as forecast disease progression. METHODS: FLU-PRO Plus was administered daily for 14 days. Exploratory factor analysis was used to reduce the FLU-PRO Plus responses on the first day to 3 factors interpreted as "symptom clusters." The 3 clusters were used to predict COVID-19 versus ILI diagnosis in logistic regression. Correlation between the clusters and quality of life (QoL) measures was used to assess concurrent validity. The timing of self-reported return to usual health in the 14-day period was estimated as a function of the clusters within COVID-19 and ILI groups. RESULTS: Three hundred fourteen patients completed day 1 FLU-PRO Plus, of which 65% had a COVID-19 diagnosis. Exploratory factor analysis identified 3 symptom clusters: (1)general Body, (2) tracheal/bronchial, and (3) nasopharyngeal. Higher nasopharyngeal scores were associated with higher odds of COVID-19 compared with ILI diagnosis [adjusted odds ratio = 1.61 (1.21, 2.12)]. Higher tracheal/bronchial scores were associated with lower odds of COVID-19 [0.58 (0.44, 0.77)]. The 3 symptom clusters were correlated with multiple QoL measures ( r = 0.14-0.56). Higher scores on the general body and tracheal/bronchial symptom clusters were associated with prolonged time to return to usual health [adjusted hazard ratios: 0.76 (0.64, 0.91), 0.80 (0.67, 0.96)]. CONCLUSION: Three symptom clusters identified from FLU-PRO Plus responses successfully discriminated patients with COVID-19 from non-COVID ILI and were associated with QoL and predicted symptom duration.

Development of a Common Data Model for a Multisite and Multiyear Study of Virtual Visit Implementation: A Case Study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: In multisite studies, a common data model (CDM) standardizes dataset organization, variable definitions, and variable code structures and can support distributed data processing. We describe the development of a CDM for a study of virtual visit implementation in 3 Kaiser Permanente (KP) regions. METHODS: We conducted several scoping reviews to inform our study's CDM design: (1) virtual visit mode, implementation timing, and scope (targeted clinical conditions and departments); and (2) extant sources of electronic health record data to specify study measures. Our study covered the period from 2017 through June 2021. Integrity of the CDM was assessed by a chart review of random samples of virtual and in-person visits, overall and by specific conditions of interest (neck or back pain, urinary tract infection, major depression). RESULTS: The scoping reviews identified a need to address differences in virtual visit programs across the 3 KP regionsto harmonize measurement specifications for our research analyses. The final CDM contained patient-level, provider-level, and system-level measures on 7,476,604 person-years for KP members aged 19 years and above. Utilization included 2,966,112 virtual visits (synchronous chats, telephone visits, video visits) and 10,004,195 in-person visits. Chart review indicated the CDM correctly identified visit mode on>96% (n=444) of visits, and presenting diagnosis on >91% (n=482) of visits. CONCLUSIONS: Upfront design and implementation of CDMs may be resource intensive. Once implemented, CDMs, like the one we developed for our study, provide downstream programming and analytic efficiencies by harmonizing, in a consistent framework, otherwise idiosyncratic temporal and study site differences in source data.

Systematic surveillance of patient-reported symptoms of viral respiratory tract infectious Syndromes in diverse populations.

BACKGROUND: Patient reported outcome measures (PROM) can improve patient care and be crucial for symptom tracking especially during disease outbreaks. FLU-PRO Plus is a validated PROM used to track viral respiratory symptoms. Our study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using FLU-PRO© Plus, to track symptoms across three healthcare systems. METHODS: The prospective, longitudinal study recruited adults between February-May 2021 from HealthPartners Institute (HP), Kaiser Permanente Georgia (KPGA), and Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States (KPMAS). Adult members were eligible if they had a positive lab or diagnosis for either COVID-19 or influenza-like illness (ILI) or exhibited 2 + viral respiratory symptoms. Descriptive statistics were calculated to describe the patient characteristics for participants that were eligible for FLU-PRO Plus, successfully contacted, attempted to log in to the FLU-PRO Plus website, and participants who completed FLU-PRO Plus Day 1. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression using PROC GLIMMIXX investigated the patient characteristics associated with (1) successful contact and (2) FLU-PRO Plus Day 1 completion. RESULTS: We identified a total of 15,650 eligible participants during the enrollment period: 9,582 from HP, 1,740 from KPGA, and 4,328 from KPMAS. Among the total of 409 eligible adults who attempted to participate in FLU-PRO Plus, 317 completed FLU-PRO Plus Day 1. Among the 317 individuals that completed FLU-PRO Plus Day 1, 205 (67.5%) were diagnosed with COVID-19; 112 adults diagnosed with COVID-19 completed FLU-PRO Plus Day 14. Among adults successfully contacted, adults aged 35-64 (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.05, 1.87), females (OR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.38, 2.27), and adults diagnosed with COVID-19 (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.27, 2.17) had higher odds of completing FLU-PRO Plus Day 1; Asian adults (OR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.19, 0.76) and Black and African American adults (OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.19, 0.76) had lower odds compared to White adults. CONCLUSION: Our study reports on the feasibility of patients across three integrated healthcare systems utilizing FLU-PRO Plus to monitor their respiratory symptoms. Patient reported outcome measures (PROM) can improve patient care, quality of life, and reduce the strain of limited resources on healthcare systems. Future FLU-PRO Plus studies should develop an implementation strategy to fully integrate FLU-PRO Plus within clinical care and patient management.

Cohort profile: pathways to care among people with disorders of sex development (DSD).

PURPOSE: The 'DSD Pathways' study was initiated to assess health status and patterns of care among people enrolled in large integrated healthcare systems and diagnosed with conditions comprising the broad category of disorders (differences) of sex development (DSD). The objectives of this communication are to describe methods of cohort ascertainment for two specific DSD conditions-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia with 46,XX karyotype (46,XX CAH) and complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS). PARTICIPANTS: Using electronic health records we developed an algorithm that combined diagnostic codes, clinical notes, laboratory data and pharmacy records to assign each cohort candidate a 'strength-of-evidence' score supporting the diagnosis of interest. A sample of cohort candidates underwent a review of the full medical record to determine the score cutoffs for final cohort validation. FINDINGS TO DATE: Among 5404 classic 46,XX CAH cohort candidates the strength-of-evidence scores ranged between 0 and 10. Based on sample validation, the eligibility cut-off for full review was set at the strength-of-evidence score of ≥7 among children under the age of 8 years and ≥8 among older cohort candidates. The final validation of all cohort candidates who met the cut-off criteria identified 115 persons with classic 46,XX CAH. The strength-of-evidence scores among 648 CAIS cohort candidates ranged from 2 to 10. There were no confirmed CAIS cases among cohort candidates with scores <6. The in-depth medical record review for candidates with scores ≥6 identified 61 confirmed cases of CAIS. FUTURE PLANS: As the first cohort of this type, the DSD Pathways study is well-positioned to fill existing knowledge gaps related to management and outcomes in this heterogeneous population. Analyses will examine diagnostic and referral patterns, adherence to care recommendations and physical and mental health morbidities examined through comparisons of DSD and reference populations and analyses of health status across DSD categories.

The Contribution of Patient, Primary Care Physician, and Primary Care Clinic Factors to Good Bone Health Care.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Patient, provider, and system factors can contribute to chronic care management and outcomes. Few studies have examined these multilevel associations with osteoporosis care and outcomes. We examined how key process and structural factors at the patient, primary care physician (PCP), and primary care clinic (PCC) levels were associated with guideline concordant osteoporosis pharmacotherapy, daily calcium intake, vitamin D supplementation, and weekly exercise sessions at 52 weeks following enrollment in a cluster randomized controlled trial. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of observational data from 1 site of the trial. The study sample included 1996 men and women ≥ 50 years of age at the time of recruitment following completion of a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan and who had complete data at baseline and 52 weeks. Our primary independent variable was "relationship continuity": the DXA-ordering provider was the patient's PCP. Hierarchical linear and logistic regression accounted for patient, provider, and primary care clinic characteristics. RESULTS: In multivariable regression analyses, relationship continuity (ie, the PCP ordered the study DXA) was associated with higher average daily calcium intake and likelihood of vitamin D supplementation at 52 weeks. No PCP or primary care clinic factors were associated with osteoporosis care. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship continuity, in which the provider ordering a DXA is the patient's PCP and therefore also presents the results of a DXA, may help to promote patient behaviors associated with good bone health.

An automated algorithm using free-text clinical notes to improve identification of transgender people.

Accurate identification of transgender persons is a critical first step in conducting transgender health studies. To develop an automated algorithm for identifying transgender individuals from electronic medical records (EMR) using free-text clinical notes. The development and validation of the algorithm was based on data from an integrated healthcare system that served as a participating site in the multicenter Study of Transition Outcomes and Gender. The training and test datasets each contained a total of 300 individuals identified between 2006 and 2014. Both datasets underwent a full medical record review by experienced research abstractors. The validated algorithm was then implemented to identify transgender individuals in the EMR using all clinical notes of patients that received care between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2018. Validation of the algorithm against the full chart review demonstrated a high degree of accuracy with 97% sensitivity, 95% specificity, 94% positive predictive value, and 97% negative predictive value. The algorithm classified 7,409 individuals (3.5%) as "Definitely transgender" and 679 individuals (0.3%) as "Probably transgender" out of 212,138 candidates with a total of 378,641 clinical notes. The computerized NLP algorithm can support essential efforts to improve the health of transgender people.

Adherence to Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Insured Black and White Breast Cancer Survivors: Exploring Adherence Measures in Patient Data.

BACKGROUND: Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) is a critical therapy in that it improves survival in women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC), but adherence to AET is suboptimal. The purpose of this study was to fill scientific gaps about predictors of adherence to AET among black and white women diagnosed with BC. OBJECTIVE: To assess AET adherence in black and white insured women using multiple measures, including one that uses an innovative statistical approach. METHODS: Black and white women newly diagnosed with HR+ BC were identified from 2 health maintenance organizations. Pharmacy records captured the type of oral AET prescriptions and all fill dates. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of adherence defined in terms of proportion of days covered (PDC; ≥ 80%) and medication gap of ≤ 10 days. A zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression model was used to identify variables associated with the total number of days of medication gaps. RESULTS: 1,925 women met inclusion criteria. 80% were PDC adherent (> 80%); 44% had a medication gap of ≤ 10 days; and 24% had no medication gap days. Race and age were significant in all multivariable models. Black women were less likely to be adherent based on PDC than white women (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.57-0.90, P < 0.01), and they were less likely to have a medication gap of ≤ 10 days (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.54-0.79, P < 0.001). Women aged 25-49 years were less likely to be PDC adherent than women aged 65-93 years (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.48-0.87, P < 0.001). In the ZINB model, women were without their medication for an average of 37 days (SD = 50.5). CONCLUSIONS: Racial disparities in adherence to AET in the study highlight a need for interventions among insured women. Using various measures of adherence may help better understand this multidimensional concept. There might be benefits from using both more common dichotomous measures (e.g., PDC) and integrating novel statistical approaches to allow tailoring adherence to patterns within a specific sample. DISCLOSURES: This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (R01CA154848). It was also supported in part by the NIH-NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA016059, the Laboratory of Telomere Health P30 CA51008, and the TSA Award No. UL1TR002649 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. The contents of this study are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent official views of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences or the National Institutes of Health. Bosworth reports grants from Sanofi, Otsuka, Johnson & Johnson, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NC and consulting fees from Sanofi and Otsuka. The other authors have nothing to disclose. The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to privacy reasons but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. The author does not own these data. Data use was granted to the author as part of a data use agreement between specific agencies and organizations.

Cross-sex Hormones and Acute Cardiovascular Events in Transgender Persons: A Cohort Study.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), ischemic stroke, and myocardial infarction in transgender persons may be related to hormone use. Objective: To examine the incidence of these events in a cohort of transgender persons. Design: Electronic medical record-based cohort study of transgender members of integrated health care systems who had an index date (first evidence of transgender status) from 2006 through 2014. Ten male and 10 female cisgender enrollees were matched to each transgender participant by year of birth, race/ethnicity, study site, and index date enrollment. Setting: Kaiser Permanente in Georgia and northern and southern California. Patients: 2842 transfeminine and 2118 transmasculine members with a mean follow-up of 4.0 and 3.6 years, respectively, matched to 48 686 cisgender men and 48 775 cisgender women. Measurements: VTE, ischemic stroke, and myocardial infarction events ascertained from diagnostic codes through the end of 2016 in transgender and reference cohorts. Results: Transfeminine participants had a higher incidence of VTE, with 2- and 8-year risk differences of 4.1 (95% CI, 1.6 to 6.7) and 16.7 (CI, 6.4 to 27.5) per 1000 persons relative to cisgender men and 3.4 (CI, 1.1 to 5.6) and 13.7 (CI, 4.1 to 22.7) relative to cisgender women. The overall analyses for ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction demonstrated similar incidence across groups. More pronounced differences for VTE and ischemic stroke were observed among transfeminine participants who initiated hormone therapy during follow-up. The evidence was insufficient to allow conclusions regarding risk among transmasculine participants. Limitation: Inability to determine which transgender members received hormones elsewhere. Conclusion: The patterns of increases in VTE and ischemic stroke rates among transfeminine persons are not consistent with those observed in cisgender women. These results may indicate the need for long-term vigilance in identifying vascular side effects of cross-sex estrogen. Primary Funding Source: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Mental Health of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Youth Compared With Their Peers.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the magnitude of mental health problems, particularly life-threatening ones, experienced by transgender and/or gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth can lead to improved management of these conditions. METHODS: Electronic medical records were used to identify a cohort of 588 transfeminine and 745 transmasculine children (3-9 years old) and adolescents (10-17 years old) enrolled in integrated health care systems in California and Georgia. Ten male and 10 female referent cisgender enrollees were matched to each TGNC individual on year of birth, race and/or ethnicity, study site, and membership year of the index date (first evidence of gender nonconforming status). Prevalence ratios were calculated by dividing the proportion of TGNC individuals with a specific mental health diagnosis or diagnostic category by the corresponding proportion in each reference group by transfeminine and/or transmasculine status, age group, and time period before the index date. RESULTS: Common diagnoses for children and adolescents were attention deficit disorders (transfeminine 15%; transmasculine 16%) and depressive disorders (transfeminine 49%; transmasculine 62%), respectively. For all diagnostic categories, prevalence was severalfold higher among TGNC youth than in matched reference groups. Prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for history of self-inflicted injury in adolescents 6 months before the index date ranged from 18 (95% CI 4.4-82) to 144 (95% CI 36-1248). The corresponding range for suicidal ideation was 25 (95% CI 14-45) to 54 (95% CI 18-218). CONCLUSIONS: TGNC youth may present with mental health conditions requiring immediate evaluation and implementation of clinical, social, and educational gender identity support measures.

Associations of overweight/obesity and socioeconomic status with hypertension prevalence across racial and ethnic groups.

Racial/ethnic disparities in the prevalence of diagnosed hypertension are persistent but may be partially explained by racial/ethnic differences in weight category and neighborhood socioeconomic status. The authors compared hypertension prevalence rates among 4 060 585 adults with overweight or obesity across 10 healthcare systems by weight category and neighborhood education level in geographically and racially diverse individuals. Data were obtained from electronic health records. Hypertension was defined as at least two outpatient visits or one inpatient hospitalization with a coded diagnosis. Logistic regression, adjusted for age, sex, and site, with two-way interactions between race/ethnicity and weight category or neighborhood education, was used to examine the association between hypertension and race/ethnicity, with whites as the reference. Results documented that odds ratios for hypertension prevalence were greater for blacks, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Asians, and Native Hawaiians/other Pacific Islanders compared with whites and lower for Hispanics in similar weight categories and neighborhood education levels. Although two-way interactions were statistically significant, the magnitude of the odds of hypertension compared with whites did not substantially vary across weight or neighborhood education. Hypertension odds were almost double relative to whites for blacks and Native Hawaiians/other Pacific Islanders across most weight categories and all neighborhood education levels. Odds of hypertension were about 50% greater for Asians relative to whites across weight categories. Results suggest that other factors might be associated with racial/ethnic disparities in hypertension. More research is needed to understand the many factors that may contribute to variation in diagnosed hypertension across racial/ethnic groups with overweight or obesity.

Cohort profile: Study of Transition, Outcomes and Gender (STRONG) to assess health status of transgender people.

PURPOSE: The Study of Transition, Outcomes and Gender (STRONG) was initiated to assess the health status of transgender people in general and following gender-affirming treatments at Kaiser Permanente health plans in Georgia, Northern California and Southern California. The objectives of this communication are to describe methods of cohort ascertainment and data collection and to characterise the study population. PARTICIPANTS: A stepwise methodology involving computerised searches of electronic medical records and free-text validation of eligibility and gender identity was used to identify a cohort of 6456 members with first evidence of transgender status (index date) between 2006 and 2014. The cohort included 3475 (54%) transfeminine (TF), 2892 (45%) transmasculine (TM) and 89 (1%) members whose natal sex and gender identity remained undetermined from the records. The cohort was matched to 127 608 enrollees with no transgender evidence (63 825 women and 63 783 men) on year of birth, race/ethnicity, study site and membership year of the index date. Cohort follow-up extends through the end of 2016. FINDINGS TO DATE: About 58% of TF and 52% of TM cohort members received hormonal therapy at Kaiser Permanente. Chest surgery was more common among TM participants (12% vs 0.3%). The proportions of transgender participants who underwent genital reconstruction surgeries were similar (4%-5%) in the two transgender groups. Results indicate that there are sufficient numbers of events in the TF and TM cohorts to further examine mental health status, cardiovascular events, diabetes, HIV and most common cancers. FUTURE PLANS: STRONG is well positioned to fill existing knowledge gaps through comparisons of transgender and reference populations and through analyses of health status before and after gender affirmation treatment. Analyses will include incidence of cardiovascular disease, mental health, HIV and diabetes, as well as changes in laboratory-based endpoints (eg, polycythemia and bone density), overall and in relation to gender affirmation therapy.

Provider type and management of common visits in primary care.

OBJECTIVES: Debate continues on whether nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) are more likely to order ancillary services, or order more costly services among alternatives, than primary care physicians (PCPs). We compared prescription medication and diagnostic service orders associated with NP/PA versus PCP visits for management of neck or back (N/B) pain or acute respiratory infection (ARI). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, observational study of visits from January 2006 through March 2008 in the adult primary care practice of Kaiser Permanente in Atlanta, Georgia. METHODS: Data were obtained from electronic health records. NP/PA and PCP visits for N/B pain or ARI were propensity score matched on patient age, gender, and comorbidities. RESULTS: On propensity score-matched N/B pain visits (n = 6724), NP/PAs were less likely than PCPs to order a computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance image (MRI) scan (2.1% vs 3.3%, respectively) or narcotic analgesic (26.9% vs 28.5%) and more likely to order a nonnarcotic analgesic (13.5% vs 8.5%) or muscle relaxant (45.8% vs 42.5%) (all P ≤.05). On propensity score-matched ARI visits (n = 24,190), NP/PAs were more likely than PCPs to order any antibiotic medication (73.7% vs 65.8%), but less likely to order an x-ray (6.3% vs 8.6%), broad-spectrum antibiotic (41.5% vs 42.5%), or rapid strep test (6.3% vs 9.7%) (all P ≤.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the multidisciplinary primary care practice of this health maintenance organization, NP/PAs attending visits for N/B pain or ARI were less likely than PCPs to order advanced diagnostic radiology imaging services, to prescribe narcotic analgesics, and/or to prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics.

The Impact of Using Mid-level Providers in Face-to-Face Primary Care on Health Care Utilization.

BACKGROUND: There has been concern that greater use of nurse practitioners (NP) and physician assistants (PA) in face-to-face primary care may increase utilization and spending. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a natural experiment within Kaiser Permanente in Georgia in the use of NP/PA in primary care. STUDY DESIGN: From 2006 through early 2008 (the preperiod), each NP or PA was paired with a physician to manage a patient panel. In early 2008, NPs and PAs were removed from all face-to-face primary care. Using the 2006-2010 data, we applied a difference-in-differences analytic approach at the clinic level due to patient triage between a NP/PA and a physician. Clinics were classified into 3 different groups based on the percentage of visits by NP/PA during the preperiod: high (over 20% in-person primary care visits attended by NP/PAs), medium (5%-20%), and low (<5%) NP/PA model clinics. MEASURES: Referrals to specialist physicians; emergency department visits and inpatient admissions; and advanced diagnostic imaging services. RESULTS: Compared with the low NP/PA model, the high NP/PA model and the medium NP/PA model were associated with 4.9% and 5.1% fewer specialist referrals, respectively (P<0.05 for both estimates); the high NP/PA model and the medium NP/PA model also showed fewer hospitalizations and emergency department visits and fewer advanced diagnostic imaging services, but none of these was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: We find no evidence to support concerns that under a physician's supervision, NPs and PAs increase utilization and spending.

The Patient Outcomes Research To Advance Learning (PORTAL) Network Adult Overweight and Obesity Cohort: Development and Description.

BACKGROUND: The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) created a new national network infrastructure to enable large-scale observational comparative effectiveness research across diverse clinical care settings. As part of testing the feasibility of this effort, each clinical data research network (CDRN) was required to construct cohorts of patients, including one of patients with overweight and obesity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to report on the development of the Patient Outcomes Research to Advance Learning (PORTAL) overweight and obese cohort, which includes patients from 10 health plans located across the United States. METHODS: Information was gathered from each plan's electronic health records (EHR). Eligibility included 18 years of age or older, a valid height and weight in 2012 or 2013, and body mass index (BMI) greater than 22.9 kg/m(2). Pre-diabetes and diabetes status was defined using the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria, using lab values of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) or fasting glucose available in the EHR. Hypertension was identified from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnosis codes. Individuals were classified into BMI categories: healthy weight (23.0-24.9 kg/m(2)), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m(2)), obese class 1 (30.0-34.9 kg/m(2)), obese class 2 (35.0-39.9 kg/m(2)), obese class 3 (40.0-49.0 kg/m(2)), and obese class 4 (>50.0 kg/m(2)). RESULTS: A cohort of 5,293,458 non-pregnant adults was created. Weight status was 20.39% (1,079,289/5,293,458) healthy weight, 40.40% (2,138,520/5,293,458) overweight, 22.78% (1,205,866/5,293,458) obese class 1, 9.86% (521,872/5,293,458) obese class 2, 5.59% (295,786/5,293,458) obese class 3, and 0.98% (52,125/5,293,458) obese class 4. Race/ethnicity was 49.02% (2,594,776/5,293,458) non-Hispanic white, 22.89% (1,211,677/5,293,458) Hispanic, 10.40% (550,608/5,293,458) Asian, 10.83% (573,506/5,293,458) black, and 6.59% (348,830/5,293,458) other. About 34.33% (1,817,438/5,293,458) met the definition of hypertension, 20.49% (1,660,940/5,293,458) of individuals met the criteria for pre-diabetes, and 14.98% (793,069/5,293,458) met criteria for diabetes. Prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes varied across health plans to a greater extent than expected based on hypertension prevalence and BMI status variability. CONCLUSIONS: This large, race, ethnic, and geographically diverse cohort will be useful for future studies of rare exposures or outcomes and differences in health care practices.

A novel method for estimating transgender status using electronic medical records.

PURPOSE: We describe a novel algorithm for identifying transgender people and determining their male-to-female (MTF) or female-to-male (FTM) identity in electronic medical records of an integrated health system. METHODS: A computer program scanned Kaiser Permanente Georgia electronic medical records from January 2006 through December 2014 for relevant diagnostic codes, and presence of specific keywords (e.g., "transgender" or "transsexual") in clinical notes. Eligibility was verified by review of de-identified text strings containing targeted keywords, and if needed, by an additional in-depth review of records. Once transgender status was confirmed, FTM or MTF identity was assessed using a second program and another round of text string reviews. RESULTS: Of 813,737 members, 271 were identified as possibly transgender: 137 through keywords only, 25 through diagnostic codes only, and 109 through both codes and keywords. Of these individuals, 185 (68%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 62%-74%) were confirmed as definitely transgender. The proportions (95% CIs) of definite transgender status among persons identified via keywords, diagnostic codes, and both were 45% (37%-54%), 56% (35%-75%), and 100% (96%-100%). Of the 185 definitely transgender people, 99 (54%, 95% CI: 46%-61%) were MTF, 84 (45%, 95% CI: 38%-53%) were FTM. For two persons, gender identity remained unknown. Prevalence of transgender people (per 100,000 members) was 4.4 (95% CI: 2.6-7.4) in 2006 and 38.7 (95% CI: 32.4-46.2) in 2014. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method of identifying candidates for transgender health studies is low cost and relatively efficient. It can be applied in other similar health care systems.

Identification of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in electronic health record databases.

BACKGROUND: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) carry a high mortality risk. While identifying clinical and genetic risk factors for these conditions has been hindered by their rarity, large electronic health databases hold promise for identifying large numbers of cases for study, especially with the introduction in 2008 of ICD-9 codes more specific for these conditions. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to estimate the validity of ICD-9 codes for ascertaining SJS/TEN in 12 collaborating research units in the USA, covering almost 60 million lives. METHODS: From the electronic databases at each site, we ascertained potential cases of SJS/TEN using ICD-9 codes. At five sites, a subset of medical records was abstracted and standardized criteria applied by board-certified dermatologists to adjudicate diagnoses. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with validated SJS/TEN cases. RESULTS: A total of 56 591 potential cases of SJS/TEN were identified. A subset of 276 charts was selected for adjudication and 39 (of the 276) were confirmed as SJS/TEN. Patients with the ICD-9 codes introduced after 2008 were more likely to be confirmed as cases (OR 3.32; 95%CI 0.82, 13.47) than those identified in earlier years. Likelihood of case status increased with length of hospitalization. Applying the probability of case status to the 56 591 potential cases, we estimated 475-875 to be valid SJS/TEN cases. CONCLUSION: Newer ICD-9 codes, along with length of hospitalization, identified patients with a high likelihood of SJS/TEN. This is important for identification of subjects for future pharmacogenomics studies.

Most parents do not think receiving human papillomavirus vaccine would encourage sexual activity in their children.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether parents think receiving human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine encourages sexual activity in their children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Parents of children 9 to 17 years old living in Georgia and South Carolina completed a 53-item questionnaire that evaluated their opinions about the HPV vaccine and their feelings about whether receiving it encourages sexual intercourse in their children. Fisher exact tests and t tests were used to identify differences between groups. RESULTS: Participants tended to be white, protestant mothers, 30 to 39 years old with private health insurance. Most parents (301/322, 93.5%) did not believe receiving the HPV vaccine would encourage their child to have sex. Parents who believed the vaccine would encourage sex were more likely to have 15- to 17-year-old children (76% vs 37%, p =.0007), were 40 years or older (62% vs 35%, p =.019), have religious objections to vaccines in general (10% vs 0.3%, p =.01) and the HPV vaccine (14% vs 2%, p =.02), and believed the vaccine would not reduce the risk of cervical cancer in their daughters (50% vs 9%, p =.001). CONCLUSIONS: Most parents do not think the HPV vaccine would actually encourage sexual activity in their children. Therefore, health care providers can be less hesitant in recommending the vaccine to young sexually naive girls. Additional education should help improve overall parental understanding about the HPV vaccine and, consequently, vaccination rates.