Validation of the Swedish Multiple Sclerosis Register: Further Improving a Resource for Pharmacoepidemiologic Evaluations

Epidemiology. 2019 Mar;30(2):230-233. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000000948.

Abstract

The Swedish Multiple Sclerosis Register is a national register monitoring treatment and clinical course for all Swedish multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, with high coverage and close integration with the clinic. Despite its great value for epidemiologic research, it has not previously been validated. In this brief report, we summarize a large validation of >3,000 patients in the register using clinical chart review in the context of the COMBAT-MS study. While further improving the data quality for a central cohort of patients available for future epidemiologic research, this study also allowed us to estimate the accuracy and completeness of the register data.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Antirheumatic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cohort Studies
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy / statistics & numerical data
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / statistics & numerical data
  • Medical Records / statistics & numerical data
  • Multiple Sclerosis / drug therapy*
  • Multiple Sclerosis / epidemiology*
  • Multiple Sclerosis / physiopathology
  • Pharmacoepidemiology / standards*
  • Recurrence
  • Registries / standards*
  • Regression Analysis
  • Sweden / epidemiology

Substances

  • Antirheumatic Agents