Identifying patients with diagnosed cirrhosis in administrative health databases: a validation study.

Objectives: Case ascertainment algorithms were developed and validated to identify people living with cirrhosis in administrative health data in Manitoba, Canada using primary care electronic medical records (EMR) to define the reference standards. Methods: We linked provincial administrative health data to primary care EMR data. The validation cohort included 116,675 Manitobans aged >18 years with at least one primary care visit between April 1998 and March 2015. Hospital records, physician billing claims, vital statistics, and prescription drug data were used to develop and test 93 case-finding algorithms. A validated case definition for primary care EMR data was the reference standard. We estimated sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV), Youden's index, area under the receiver operative curve, and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of 116,675 people were in the validation cohort. The prevalence of cirrhosis was 1.4% (n = 1593). Algorithm sensitivity estimates ranged from 32.5% (95% CI 32.2-32.8) to 68.3% (95% CI 68.0-68.9) and PPV from 17.4% (95% CI 17.1-17.6) to 23.4% (95% CI 23.1-23.6). Specificity (95.5-98.2) and NPV (approximately 99%) were high for all algorithms. The algorithms had slightly higher sensitivity estimates among men compared with women, and individuals aged ≥45 years compared to those aged 18-44 years. Conclusion: Cirrhosis algorithms applied to administrative health data had moderate validity when a validated case definition for primary care EMRs was the reference standard. This study provides algorithms for identifying diagnosed cirrhosis cases for population-based research and surveillance studies.

Carpal tunnel syndrome among Manitoba workers: Results from the Manitoba Occupational Disease Surveillance System.

BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is associated with occupational high-force repetitive tasks and vibration. This project examines the relationship between CTS and work to: (1) identify jobs and industries with increased CTS risk; (2) explore whether there is a sex difference in the risk of CTS after controlling for occupation; and (3) determine whether any observed relationships persist after excluding Workers Compensation Board (WCB) accepted time-loss CTS claims. METHODS: We linked 95.5% of time-loss WCB claims from 2006 to 2019 to provincial administrative health data. The cohort included 143,001 unique person-occupation combinations. CTS cases were defined as at least two medical claims for (ICD-9 354) within a 12-month period or a surgical claim for CTS from 2 years before the WCB claim to 3 years after. WCB accepted CTS time-loss claims not identified by the medical claims were also included. RESULTS: A total of 4302 individuals (3.0%) met the CTS definition. Analysis revealed that the hazard ratios (HRs) of CTS vary considerably with occupation. Sex-based differences in CTS risks were observed, both in low- and high-risk occupations. In many occupations with increased HR, the HR remained elevated after excluding accepted time-loss WCB cases. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of developing CTS varied with occupation. Job titles with ergonomic risk factors had higher risks than those with lower exposures. This finding remained after eliminating time-loss compensated WCB cases, suggesting that all cases of CTS in high risk jobs are not identified in WCB statistics. Female workers in some job titles had excess CTS cases compared to male workers within the same job title.

Acute myocardial infarctions identified in the Manitoba Occupational Disease Surveillance System: A linkage of worker's compensation and provincial health data.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to identify jobs and industries that may be associated with increased or decreased risk of myocardial infarction. METHODS: We linked provincial health care data with Workers Compensation Board (WCB) of Manitoba claims data to create the Manitoba Occupational Disease Surveillance System (MODSS). Workers were eligible for inclusion in this study if their WCB claim listed an occupation, their claim could be linked to health data, they had an accepted non-acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compensation time loss claim and were free of a recent (<1 year) AMI diagnosis at the start of disease follow-up. AMI cases were identified as the most-responsible diagnosis in the hospitalization file (ICD-9 410 or ICD-10 I20). Cases were included if they occurred after the WCB record injury date until end of coverage, either through moving out of province, reaching age 65, death, or the end of the study period (March 1, 2020). RESULTS: We identified 1880 incident AMIs amongst 150,022 claims recorded in the MODSS (1.25%). A number of industries and occupations were found to have higher and lower AMI rates. Care providers and educational, legal, and public protection support occupations had a lower hazard ratio (HR; 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44-0.92) compared to the overall cohort. Female chefs and cooks, and male butchers and bakers had elevated AMI HRs. Both male and female transport and heavy equipment operators and related maintenance occupations had increased HRs (1.48; 95% CI: 1.30-1.67). Often male and female workers employed in the same occupations had congruent AMI risks, but this was not always the case. CONCLUSIONS: The linkage of a WCB data set with provincial health claims data led to the identification of a number of occupations with elevated risks of AMI in Manitoba. This was most notable in the transportation industry. Identifying work areas with increased risk of AMIs could lead to targeted educational efforts and potential workplace modifications to lower this risk.

Incidence of Subsequent Mental Health Disorders and Social Adversity Following Pediatric Concussion: A Longitudinal, Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the long-term risk of new adverse psychosocial outcomes among adolescents diagnosed with a concussion compared with those not diagnosed. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective, population-based cohort study was conducted. Adolescents (10-18 years) with a physician-diagnosed concussion between 2000 and 2005 were matched on neighborhood and age with 5 controls without concussion from the general population. New-onset mental health disorders, medication use, social, and justice outcomes were extracted using datasets linked to the population data repository. Adolescents were followed for 11-16 years. Adjusted hazard ratios (95% CIs) were estimated. RESULTS: In total, 2082 adolescents with a concussion were matched to 10 510 without. Adolescents with a concussion had an increased risk of any mental health disorder (HR 1.34; 95% CI 1.25-1.45), mood disorder (HR 1.30; 95% 1.18-1.43), psychosis (HR 1.43; 95% CI 1.18-1.74), substance abuse disorder (HR 1.67; 95% 1.31-2.14), and receiving a psychotropic prescription (HR 1.31; 95% CI 1.20-1.42). Female adolescents had an increased risk of ADHD following concussion (HR 1.89; 95% CI 1.17-3.05). Adolescents with a concussion had an increased risk of being accused (HR 1.22; 95% CI 1.11-1.34), victim (HR 1.29; 95% CI 1.11-1.48), or witness (HR 1.16; 95% CI 1.01-1.32) of a crime, or contact with Child and Family Services (HR 1.33; 95% CI 1.10-1.62). There was no association between concussion and attempting or completing suicide, receiving housing support, or collecting income support. CONCLUSIONS: Concussion was associated with an increased risk for multiple adverse psychosocial outcomes. Future work should focus on early identification of those at risk of these outcomes to help optimize longitudinal medical care and support.

Assessing the migrant mortality advantage among foreign-born and interprovincial migrants in Manitoba, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: Studies on mortality differentials between international immigrants and non-immigrants produced mixed results. The mortality of interprovincial migrants has been less studied. Our objectives were to compare mortality risk between international immigrants, interprovincial migrants, and long-term residents of the province of Manitoba, Canada, and identify factors associated with mortality among migrants. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective matched-cohort study to examine all-cause and premature mortality of 355,194 international immigrants, interprovincial migrants, and long-term Manitoba residents (118,398 in each group) between January 1985 and March 2019 using linked administrative databases. Poisson regression was used to estimate adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: The all-cause mortality risk of international immigrants (2.3 per 1000 person-years) and interprovincial migrants (4.4 per 1000) was lower than that of long-term Manitobans (5.6 per 1000) (aIRR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.42, 0.45 and aIRR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.80, 0.84, respectively). Compared with interprovincial migrants, international immigrants showed lower death risk (aIRR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.52). Similar trends were observed for premature mortality. Among international immigrants, higher mortality risk was observed for refugees, those from North America and Oceania, and those of low educational attainment. Among internal migrants, those from Eastern Canada had lower mortality risk than those migrating from Ontario and Western Canada. CONCLUSION: Migrants had a mortality advantage over non-migrants, being stronger for international immigrants than for interprovincial migrants. Among the two migrant groups, there was heterogeneity in the mortality risk according to migrants' characteristics.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: Les études sur les écarts dans la mortalité entre les immigrants internationaux et les non-immigrants produisent des résultats mitigés. La mortalité des migrants interprovinciaux est moins étudiée. Nous avons cherché à comparer le risque de mortalité des immigrants internationaux, des migrants interprovinciaux et des résidents à long terme de la province du Manitoba, au Canada, et à cerner les facteurs associés à la mortalité chez les migrants. MéTHODE: Nous avons mené une étude de cohorte assortie rétrospective pour examiner la mortalité toutes causes confondues et la mortalité prématurée chez 355 194 immigrants internationaux, migrants interprovinciaux et résidents à long terme du Manitoba (118 398 dans chaque groupe) entre janvier 1985 et mars 2019 à l'aide de bases de données administratives maillées. Par régression de Poisson, nous avons estimé les rapports de taux d'incidence ajustés (RTAa) avec des intervalles de confiance (IC) de 95 %. RéSULTATS: Le risque de mortalité toutes causes confondues des immigrants internationaux (2,3 pour 1 000 personnes-années) et des migrants interprovinciaux (4,4 pour 1 000) était plus faible que celui des résidents à long terme du Manitoba (5,6 pour 1 000) (RTAa : 0,43; IC de 95 % : 0,42, 0,45 et RTAa : 0,81; IC de 95 % : 0,80, 0,84, respectivement). Comparativement aux migrants interprovinciaux, les immigrants internationaux présentaient un risque de mortalité plus faible (RTAa : 0,50; IC de 95 % : 0,47, 0,52). Des tendances semblables ont été observées pour la mortalité prématurée. Chez les immigrants internationaux, un risque de mortalité plus élevé a été observé chez les réfugiés, les immigrants de l'Amérique du Nord et de l'Océanie et ceux ayant un faible niveau d'instruction. Chez les migrants intérieurs, ceux de l'Est du Canada présentaient un risque de mortalité plus faible que ceux de l'Ontario et de l'Ouest canadien. CONCLUSION: Les migrants présentaient un avantage sur le plan de la mortalité par rapport aux non-migrants; cet avantage était plus prononcé chez les immigrants internationaux que chez les migrants interprovinciaux. Dans ces deux groupes de migrants, il y avait hétérogénéité dans le risque de mortalité selon les caractéristiques des migrants.

Use of Benzodiazepines and Z-Drugs in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

INTRODUCTION: We estimated the incidence and prevalence of benzodiazepine and Z-drug (separately and jointly as BZD) use in the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) population compared with matched controls without IBD and examined the association of mood/anxiety disorders (M/ADs) with the use of BZD from 1997 to 2017. METHODS: Using administrative data from Manitoba, Canada, we identified 5,741 persons with incident IBD who were matched in a 1:5 ratio to controls on sex, birth year, and region. Validated case definitions were used to identify M/AD. Dispensations of BZD were identified. Multivariable generalized linear models were used to assess the association between IBD, M/AD, and BZD use. RESULTS: In 2016, the incident age/sex-standardized benzodiazepine use rates per 1,000 were 28.06 (95% confidence interval [CI] 26.41-29.81) in the IBD cohort and 16.83 (95% CI 16.28-17.39) in controls (adjusted rate ratio = 1.69 [95% CI 1.56-1.79]). Benzodiazepine incidence rates were higher for women with IBD than men, but the RR between cases and controls were similar for men and women. The incident age/sex-standardized Z-drug use rate per 1,000 was 21.07 (95% CI 19.69-22.41) in the IBD cohort. This was 1.87-fold higher than in controls (95% CI 1.73-2.01). In 2017, approximately 20% of persons with IBD used benzodiazepines and 20% used Z-drugs. There was a subadditive effect of both benzodiazepine and Z-drug uses between IBD and M/AD after adjusting for covariates. DISCUSSION: The use of BZD is more common in people with IBD than in population controls. Strategies to reduce the use of BZDs in persons with IBD and to offer alternative management strategies for M/ADs, sleep disorders, and other symptomatic concerns are needed.

Use of Benzodiazepines and Z-Drugs in Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective: Use of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics) is controversial due to adverse health outcomes in the general population. However, little is known about their use in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). We estimated the incidence and prevalence of benzodiazepine and Z-drug use (jointly BZD) in the MS population as compared to an age-, sex- and geographically-matched population without MS, and examined the association of mood/anxiety disorders with the use of BZD over a twenty-year period. Methods: Using administrative data from Manitoba, Canada, we identified 2,985 persons with incident MS and 14,891 persons without MS matched 5:1 on sex, birth year and region. We applied validated case definitions to identify persons with any mood/anxiety disorder. Dispensations of BZD were identified. To assess the association between MS, mood/anxiety disorders and BZD use we constructed generalized linear models adjusting for age, sex, index year, socioeconomic status, urban/rural residence, physical comorbidities, and health care use. We also examined patterns of BZD use. Results: In 2016, the crude incidence of benzodiazepine use in the MS cohort was 2.10% (95%CI: 1.43-2.98%), 1.49-fold higher than in the non-MS cohort (1.41%; 95%CI: 1.18-1.67%). The crude incidence of Z-drug use in the MS cohort was 1.77% (95%CI: 1.20-2.51%), 1.78-fold higher than in the non-MS cohort (0.99%; 95%CI: 0.81-1.21%). After adjusting for covariates, among individuals without an active mood/anxiety disorder, the MS cohort had a 39% increased incidence rate of benzodiazepine use and a 72% increased incidence rate of Z-drug use as compared to the non-MS cohort. Among individuals with an active mood/anxiety disorder, the incidence of BZD use did not differ between the MS and non-MS cohorts. A higher proportion of people with MS used BZD for ≥6 months than people without MS. Conclusion: Use of BZD is more common in people with MS than in general population controls, and use of these agents is in persons with MS is often chronic.

Association Between Parental Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis and Major Osteoporotic Fracture Risk in Adult Offspring: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Previous research suggests an intergenerational influence of diabetes on bone health. We examined the association between parental diabetes and major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) risk in offspring. METHODS: This population-based cohort study used de-identified administrative health data from Manitoba, Canada, which capture population-level records of hospitalizations, physician visits and drug dispensations. The cohort included individuals ≥40 years of age with at least 1 parent identified in the data between 1997 and 2015. The exposure was parental diagnosis of diabetes since 1970; the outcome was offspring incident MOF diagnosis of the hip, forearm, spine or humerus. Both measures were identified from hospital and physician visit records using validated case definitions. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models tested the association of parental diabetes and offspring MOF risk. RESULTS: The cohort included 279,085 offspring; 48.5% were females and 86.8% were ≤44 years of age. Both parents were identified for 89.4% of the cohort; 36.7% had a parental diabetes diagnosis. During a median follow up of 12.0 (interquartile range, 6.0 to 18.0) years, 8,762 offspring had an MOF diagnosis. After adjusting for fracture risk factors, parental diabetes diagnosis was not associated with MOF risk, whether diagnosed in fathers (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97 to 1.08), mothers (aHR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.07) or both parents (aHR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.11). The results remained consistent in a stratified analysis by offspring sex, secondary analysis based on MOF site and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate parental diabetes is not associated with offspring MOF risk.

Effect of comorbid mood and anxiety disorders on breast and cervical cancer screening in immune-mediated inflammatory disease.

We aimed to examine rates of breast and cervical cancer screening in women with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID), including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) versus a matched cohort with IMID; and examine the association of psychiatric comorbidity with screening in these populations. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in Manitoba, Canada using administrative data. We identified women with IBD, MS and RA, and controls without these IMID matched on age and region. Annually, we identified individuals with any active mood/anxiety disorder. Using physician claims, we determined the proportion of each cohort who had cervical cancer screening within three-year intervals, and mammography screening within two-year intervals. We modeled the difference in the proportion of the IMID and matched cohorts who underwent mammography; and pap tests using log-binomial regression with generalized estimating equations, adjusting for sociodemographics, comorbidity and immune therapy use. We tested for additive interactions between cohort and mood/anxiety disorder status. During 2006-2016, we identified 17,230 women with IMID (4,623 with IBD, 3,399 with MS, and 9,458 with RA) and 85,349 matched controls. Having an IMID was associated with lower (-1%) use of mammography; however, this reflected a mixture of more mammography in the IBD cohort (+2.9%) and less mammography in the MS (-4.8 to -5.2%) and RA (-1.5%) cohorts. Within the IBD, MS and RA cohorts, having an active mood/anxiety disorder was associated with more mammography use than having an inactive mood/anxiety disorder. The MS and RA cohorts were less likely to undergo Pap testing than their matched cohorts. In the absence of an active mood/anxiety disorder, the IBD cohort was more likely to undergo Pap testing than its matched cohort; the opposite was true when an active mood/anxiety disorder was present. Among women with an IMID, mood/anxiety disorder influence participation in cancer screening.

Linking national immigration data to provincial repositories: The case of Canada.

BACKGROUND: Canadian health data repositories link datasets at the provincial level, based on their residents' registrations to provincial health insurance plans. Linking national datasets with provincial health care registries poses several challenges that may result in misclassification and impact the estimation of linkage rates. A recent linkage of a federal immigration database in the province of Manitoba illustrates these challenges. OBJECTIVES: a) To describe the linkage of the federal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Permanent Resident (IRCC-PR) database with the Manitoba healthcare registry and b) compare data linkage methods and rates between four Canadian provinces accounting for interprovincial mobility of immigrants. METHODS: We compared linkage rates by immigrant's province of intended destination (province vs. rest of Canada). We used external nationwide immigrant tax filing records to approximate actual settlement and obtain linkage rates corrected for interprovincial mobility. RESULTS: The immigrant linkage rates in Manitoba before and after accounting for interprovincial mobility were 84.8% and 96.1, respectively. Linkage rates did not substantially differ according to immigrants' characteristics, with a few exceptions. Observed linkage rates across the four provinces ranged from 74.0% to 86.7%. After correction for interprovincial mobility, the estimated linkage rates increased > 10 percentage points for the provinces that stratified by intended destination (British Columbia and Manitoba) and decreased up to 18 percentage points for provinces that could not use immigration records of those who did not intend to settle in the province (New Brunswick and Ontario). CONCLUSIONS: Despite variations in methodology, provincial linkage rates were relatively high. The use of a national immigration dataset for linkage to provincial repositories allows a more comprehensive linkage than that of province-specific subsets. Observed linkage rates can be biased downwards by interprovincial migration, and methods that use external data sources can contribute to assessing potential selection bias and misclassification.

Uptake of influenza vaccination among persons with inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis: a population-based matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, are at increased risk for influenza and related complications. We examined and compared the uptake of influenza vaccination among people with and without these diseases, as well as the influence of psychiatric comorbidity on vaccine uptake. METHODS: Using administrative data from Apr. 1, 1984, to Mar. 31, 2016, we conducted a retrospective matched cohort study in Manitoba, Canada. We matched persons 18 years of age or older who had a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis (the immune-mediated inflammatory disease cohorts) with persons who did not have these diagnoses (the control cohorts) on age, sex and region. We then identified cohort members with any mood or anxiety disorder (depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder). We identified influenza vaccinations through billing codes. Using binomial regression, we modelled the difference in the proportion of the immune-mediated inflammatory disease and matched cohorts vaccinated annually, with adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidity and immune therapy. We tested additive interaction effects between a person's cohort and presence of a mood or anxiety disorder. RESULTS: We identified 32 880 individuals with 1 or more immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (10 148 with inflammatory bowel disease, 6158 with multiple sclerosis and 16 975 with rheumatoid arthritis) and a total of 164 152 controls. In fiscal year 2015, 8668 (41.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 40.6% to 42.0%) of the 20 982 persons with an immune-mediated inflammatory disease received an influenza vaccination, a rate higher than among controls (35 238 of 104 634; 33.7%, 95% CI 33.4% to 34.0%). After adjustment, participants with an immune-mediated inflammatory disease but no mood or anxiety disorder had 6.44% (95% CI 5.79% to 7.10%) greater uptake of vaccination than participants without such a disease. Among participants without an immune-mediated inflammatory disease, having a mood or anxiety disorder was associated with 4.54% (95% CI 4.20% to 4.89%) greater uptake of vaccination. However, we observed a subadditive interaction between immune-mediated inflammatory disease and psychiatric status (-1.38%, 95% CI -2.26% to -0.50%). INTERPRETATION: Uptake of influenza vaccination was consistently low in populations with immune-mediated inflammatory disease, and although psychiatric morbidity is associated with greater vaccine uptake by Manitobans, it negatively interacts with these diseases to reduce uptake. Changes in care delivery are needed to mitigate this gap in care.

Medication adherence in multiple sclerosis as a potential model for other chronic diseases: a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether better medication adherence in multiple sclerosis (MS) might be due to specialised disease-modifying drug (DMD) support programmes by: (1) establishing higher adherence in MS than in other chronic diseases and (2) determining if higher adherence is associated with patient-specific or treatment-specific factors. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study with data from 1 January 1996 to 31 December 2015. SETTING: Population-based health administrative data from three Canadian provinces. PARTICIPANTS: Individual cohorts were created using validated case definitions for MS, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease (PD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Subjects were included if they received ≥1 dispensation for a disease-related drug between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2014. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of subjects with optimal adherence (≥80%) measured by the medication possession ratio 1 year after the index date (first dispensation of disease-related drug). RESULTS: 126 478 subjects were included in the primary analysis (MS, n=6271; epilepsy, n=55 739; PD, n=21 304; RA, n=43 164). Subjects with epilepsy (adjusted OR, aOR 0.29; 95% CI 0.19 to 0.45), PD (aOR 0.42; 95% CI 0.29 to 0.63) or RA (aOR 0.26; 95% CI 0.19 to 0.35) were less likely to have optimal 1-year adherence compared with subjects with MS. Within the MS cohort, adherence was higher for DMD than for chronic-use non-MS medications, and no consistent patient-related predictors of adherence were observed across all four non-MS medication classes, including having optimal adherence to DMD. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with MS were significantly more likely to have optimal 1-year adherence than subjects with epilepsy, RA and PD, and optimal adherence appears related to treatment-specific factors rather than patient-related factors. This supports the hypothesis that higher adherence to the MS DMDs could be due to the specialised support programmes; these programmes may serve as a model for use in other chronic conditions.

Short-term laboratory and related safety outcomes for the multiple sclerosis oral disease-modifying therapies: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Real-world safety data for the oral multiple sclerosis (MS) disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), dimethyl fumarate (DMF), fingolimod, and teriflunomide are important. We examined laboratory test abnormalities and adverse health conditions in new users. METHODS: Linked laboratory and administrative health data were accessed for all persons with MS (PwMS) filling their first oral DMT prescription in two Canadian provinces. PwMS were followed from first prescription fill until discontinuation, death, emigration or study end. Proportions of PwMS, and incidence rates (IR)/100 person-years, were calculated for ≥1 event of elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (>the upper limit of normal [ULN]; all DMTs), liver toxicity (ALT>3xULN; fingolimod); lymphopenia and proteinuria (DMF), and cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension and pneumonia (all DMTs). RESULTS: Overall, 1,140 PwMS were followed for up to 2 years. De novo elevated alanine aminotransferase affected 13.2% (DMF), 12.4% (teriflunomide), and 30.0% (fingolimod) of users. Liver toxicity affected 2.8% of fingolimod, lymphopenia 3.1% of DMF, and proteinuria 2.9% of DMF users. The incidences of cardiac arrhythmia, pneumonia and hypertension ranged from <1 to 1.86/100 person-years depending on the DMT. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term, real-world incidences of abnormal laboratory results or adverse events were consistent with the pivotal clinical trial findings. Longer-term safety data are still needed.

The Impact of Psychiatric Comorbidity on Health Care Utilization in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Population-based Study.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with an increase in psychiatric comorbidity (PC) compared with the general population. We aimed to determine the impact of PC on health care utilization in persons with IBD. METHODS: We applied a validated administrative definition of IBD to identify all Manitobans with IBD from April 1, 2006, to March 31, 2016, and a matched cohort without IBD. A validated definition for PC in IBD population was applied to both cohorts; active PC status meant ≥2 visits for psychiatric diagnoses within a given year. We examined the association of active PC with physician visits, inpatient hospital days, proportion with inpatient hospitalization, and use of prescription IBD medications in the following year. We tested for the presence of a 2-way interaction between cohort and PC status. RESULTS: Our study matched 8459 persons with IBD to 40,375 controls. On crude analysis, IBD subjects had ≥3.7 additional physician visits, had >1.5 extra hospital days, and used 2.1 more drug types annually than controls. Subjects with active PC had >10 more physician visits, had 3.1 more hospital days, and used >6.3 more drugs. There was a synergistic effect of IBD (vs no IBD) and PC (vs no PC) across psychiatric disorders of around 4%. This synergistic effect was greatest for anxiety (6% [2%, 9%]). After excluding psychiatry-related visits and psychiatry-related hospital stays, there remained an excess health care utilization in persons with IBD and PC. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory bowel disease with PC increases health care utilization compared with matched controls and compared with persons with IBD without PC. Active PC further increases health care utilization.

Effect of mood and anxiety disorders on health care utilization in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effects of changes in the presence or absence of psychiatric disorders on health care utilization in multiple sclerosis (MS). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between "active" mood and anxiety disorders (MAD) and health care utilization in MS. METHODS: Using administrative data from Manitoba, Canada, we identified 4748 persons with MS and 24,154 persons without MS matched on sex, birth year, and region. Using multivariable general linear models, we evaluated the within-person and between-person effects of any "active" MAD on annual physician visits, hospital days, and number of drug classes dispensed in the following year. RESULTS: Annually, the MS cohort had an additional two physician visits, two drug classes, and nearly two more hospital days versus the matched cohort. Individuals with any MAD had more physician visits, had hospital days, and used more drug classes than individuals without a MAD. Within individuals, having an "active" MAD was associated with more utilization for all outcomes than not having an "active" MAD, but the magnitude of this effect was much smaller for visits and drugs than the between-person effect. CONCLUSION: Within individuals with MS, changes in MAD activity are associated with changes in health services use.

Impact of Psychiatric Comorbidity on Health Care Use in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: Psychiatric comorbidity is frequent in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and complicates treatment. The present study was undertaken to describe the impact of psychiatric comorbidity on health care use (utilization) in RA. METHODS: We accessed administrative health data (1984-2016) and identified a prevalent cohort with diagnosed RA. Cases of RA (n = 12,984) were matched for age, sex, and region of residence with 5 controls (CNT) per case (n = 64,510). Within each cohort, we identified psychiatric morbidities (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia [PSYC]), with active PSYC defined as ≥2 visits per year. For the years 2006-2016, annual rates of ambulatory care visits (mean ± SD per person) categorized by provider (family physician [FP], rheumatologist, psychiatrist, other specialist), hospitalization (% of cohort), days of hospitalization (mean ± SD), and dispensed drug types (mean ± SD per person) were compared among 4 groups (CNT, CNT plus PSYC, RA, and RA plus PSYC) using generalized linear models adjusted for age, sex, rural versus urban residence, income quintile, and total comorbidities. Estimated rates are reported with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). We tested within-person and RA-PSYC interaction effects. RESULTS: Subjects with RA were mainly female (72%) and urban residents (59%), with a mean ± SD age of 54 ± 16 years. Compared to RA without PSYC, RA with PSYC had more than additive (synergistic) visits (standardized mean difference [SMD] 10.92 [95% CI 10.25, 11.58]), hospitalizations (SMD 13% [95% CI 0.11, 0.14]), and hospital days (SMD 3.63 [95% CI 3.06, 4.19]) and were dispensed 6.85 more medication types (95% CI 6.43, 7.27). Cases of RA plus PSYC had increased visits to FPs (an additional SMD 8.92 [95% CI 8.35, 9.46] visits). PSYC increased utilization in within-person models. CONCLUSION: Managing psychiatric comorbidity effectively may reduce utilization in RA.

Social Determinants of Outcomes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

INTRODUCTION: In a population-based inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cohort, we aimed to determine whether having lower socioeconomic status (LSS) impacted on outcomes. METHODS: We identified all 9,298 Manitoba residents with IBD from April 1, 1995, to March 31, 2018 by applying a validated case definition to the Manitoba Health administrative database. We could identify all outpatient physician visits, hospitalizations, surgeries, intensive care unit admissions, and prescription medications. Their data were linked with 2 Manitoba databases, one identifying all persons who received Employment and Income Assistance and another identifying all persons with Child and Family Services contact. Area-level socioeconomic status was defined by a factor score incorporating average household income, single parent households, unemployment rate, and high school education rate. LSS was identified by any of ever being registered for Employment and Income Assistance or with Child and Family Services or being in the lowest area-level socioeconomic status quintile. RESULTS: Comparing persons with LSS vs those without any markers of LSS, there were increased rates of annual outpatient physician visits (relative risk [RR] = 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06-1.13), hospitalizations (RR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.31-1.44), intensive care unit admission (RR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.65-2.27), use of corticosteroids >2,000 mg/yr (RR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.03-1.21), and death (hazard ratio 1.53, 95% CI = 1.36-1.73). Narcotics (RR = 2.17, 95% CI = 2.01-2.34) and psychotropic medication use (RR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.84-2.13) were increased. The impact of LSS was greater for those with Crohn's disease than for those with ulcerative colitis. DISCUSSION: LSS was associated with worse outcomes in persons with IBD. Social determinants of health at time of diagnosis should be highly considered and addressed.

Parental cardiorespiratory conditions and offspring fracture: A population-based familial linkage study.

BACKGROUND: The role of parental cardiorespiratory conditions on fracture risk is unclear. We examined the associations between parental cardiorespiratory conditions and offspring fracture risk. METHODS: In this population-based retrospective cohort study, we identified 279,085 offspring aged≥40 years between April 1, 1997 and December 31, 2015 with successful linkage to 273,852 mothers and 254,622 fathers. Parental cardiorespiratory conditions, including cerebral vascular disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and peripheral vascular disease, were ascertained using physician and hospital records dating back to 1979. The outcome was offspring incident major osteoporotic fracture (MOF). RESULTS: During an average of 11.8 years of offspring follow-up, we identified 8762 (3.1%) incident MOF. Either parent congestive heart failure (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.19) and COPD (adjusted HR: 1.12; 95% CI 1.07-1.17) were independently associated with increased offspring MOF risk; all their false discovery rates were <0.001. Similar risk estimates were observed when analyses were performed for fathers only, mothers only or both parents, in multivariable models with and without adjustment for offspring cardiorespiratory conditions, and stratified by offspring sex and offspring incident fracture site. Parental cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction were not associated with offspring MOF. CONCLUSIONS: Parental congestive heart failure and parental COPD are independent risk factors for offspring MOF.