Validation of the Finnish Care register for Health Care diagnoses for preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and preterm delivery

Elli Toivonen; Kirsi Taurio; Eija Kortelainen; Aki S Havulinna; FINNPEC; Tiina Jääskeläinen; Hannele Laivuori

doi:10.1016/j.preghy.2023.12.001

Validation of the Finnish Care register for Health Care diagnoses for preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and preterm delivery

Pregnancy Hypertens. 2024 Mar:35:26-29. doi: 10.1016/j.preghy.2023.12.001. Epub 2023 Dec 12.

Authors

Elli Toivonen¹, Kirsi Taurio², Eija Kortelainen³, Aki S Havulinna⁴; FINNPEC; Tiina Jääskeläinen⁵, Hannele Laivuori⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampere University Hospital, PO Box 2000, Tampere 33521, Finland; Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Tampereen yliopisto, PO Box 100, Tampere 33014, Finland. Electronic address: elli.toivonen@tuni.fi.
² Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampere University Hospital, PO Box 2000, Tampere 33521, Finland; Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Tampereen yliopisto, PO Box 100, Tampere 33014, Finland. Electronic address: kirsi.taurio@tuni.fi.
³ Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, PO Box 63, Helsinki 00014, Finland. Electronic address: eija.kortelainen@helsinki.fi.
⁴ Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, University of Helsinki, PO Box 4, Helsinki 00014, Finland; Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, PO Box 30, Helsinki 00271, Finland. Electronic address: aki.havulinna@helsinki.fi.
⁵ Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, PO Box 63, Helsinki 00014, Finland; Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki, PO Box 66, Helsinki 00014, Finland. Electronic address: tiina.j.jaaskelainen@helsinki.fi.
⁶ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampere University Hospital, PO Box 2000, Tampere 33521, Finland; Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Tampereen yliopisto, PO Box 100, Tampere 33014, Finland; Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, PO Box 63, Helsinki 00014, Finland; Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, University of Helsinki, PO Box 4, Helsinki 00014, Finland. Electronic address: hannele.laivuori@tuni.fi.

PMID: 38091805
DOI: 10.1016/j.preghy.2023.12.001

Abstract

Background: Centrally collected Finnish national health register data on adverse pregnancy outcomes are available for research, but the validity of the data is largely unknown. Our aim was to compare the diagnoses of preeclampsia (PE), gestational diabetes (GDM), and preterm delivery from hospital records with the registry based diagnoses from the Finnish Care Register for Health Care (FCR). Data on gestational age at delivery from the Medical Birth Registry (MBR) was also studied.

Methods: The Finnish Genetics of Pre-eclampsia Consortium (FINNPEC) Study cohort was used as a data source. Each diagnosis was ascertained from electronic hospital records. The validity of diagnoses obtained by record linkage of FCR and MBR was assessed against the classification previously confirmed independently by a research nurse and a study physician.

Results: Sensitivity of PE diagnoses in FCR was 80.3 % (95 % CI 78.3 % to 82.2 %) andspecificity 95.3 % (95 % CI 93.9 % to 96.4 %). Sensitivity for GDM was 64.1 % (95 % CI: 58.7 % - 69.3 %) and specificity 98.5 % (95 % CI: 97.9 % - 98.9 %), whereas sensitivity and specificity for preterm delivery were 32.4 % (95 % CI: 29.0 % - 36.0 %) and 99.7 % (95 % CI: 99.3 % - 99.9 %). Sensitivity of preterm delivery in the MBR was 99.1 % and specificity 99.9 %.

Conclusions: FCR registry diagnoses for PE have satisfactory sensitivity and high specificity. Diagnoses for GDM and preterm delivery have lower sensitivity limiting their use in studies, and data from MBR should be preferred when studying preterm deliveries.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Hospital discharge register; Preeclampsia; Registry data; Validity.

MeSH terms

Diabetes, Gestational* / diagnosis
Diabetes, Gestational* / epidemiology
Female
Finland / epidemiology
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Pre-Eclampsia* / diagnosis
Pre-Eclampsia* / epidemiology
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Outcome / epidemiology
Premature Birth* / diagnosis
Premature Birth* / epidemiology