Accuracy and Completeness of Mortality Data in the Department of Veterans Affairs

Overview

Journal Popul Health Metr

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2006 Apr 12

PMID 16606453

Citations 275

Authors

Min-Woong Sohn

Noreen Arnold

Charles Maynard

Denise M Hynes

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: One of the national mortality databases in the U.S. is the Beneficiary Identification and Record Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File that contains death dates of those who have received any benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The completeness of this database was shown to vary widely from cohort to cohort in previous studies. Three other sources of death dates are available in the VA that can complement the BIRLS Death File. The objective of this study is to evaluate the completeness and accuracy of death dates in the four sources available in the VA and to examine whether these four sources can be combined into a database with improved completeness and accuracy.

Methods: A random sample of 3,000 was drawn from 8.3 million veterans who received benefits from the VA between 1997 and 1999 and were alive on January 1, 1999 according to at least one source. Death dates found in BIRLS Death File, Medical SAS Inpatient Datasets, Medicare Vital Status, and Social Security Administration (SSA) Death Master File were compared with dates obtained from the National Death Index. A combined dataset from these sources was also compared with National Death Index dates.

Results: Compared with the National Death Index, sensitivity (or the percentage of death dates correctly recorded in a source) was 77.4% for BIRLS Death File, 12.0% for Medical SAS Inpatient Datasets, 83.2% for Medicare Vital Status, and 92.1% for SSA Death Master File. Over 95% of death dates in these sources agreed exactly with dates from the National Death Index. Death dates in the combined dataset demonstrated 98.3% sensitivity and 97.6% exact agreement with dates from the National Death Index.

Conclusion: The BIRLS Death File is not an adequate source of mortality data for the VA population due to incompleteness. When the four sources of mortality data are carefully combined, the resulting dataset can provide more timely data for death ascertainment than the National Death Index and has comparable accuracy and completeness.

Citing Articles

Mortality, Hepatic Decompensation, and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Lean vs. Non-lean MASLD Cirrhosis: A Veterans Affairs Cohort Study.

Njei B, Mezzacappa C, John B, Serper M, Kaplan D, Taddei T Dig Dis Sci. 2025; 70(2):802-813.

PMID: 39779587 PMC: 11839701. DOI: 10.1007/s10620-024-08764-4.

Prevalence and Outcomes of Emergency Presentations of Colorectal Cancer in Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Khalaf N, Ali B, Zimolzak A, Liu Y, Kramer J, El-Serag H Dig Dis Sci. 2024; 70(1):177-190.

PMID: 39661278 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-024-08762-6.

Association between adjunctive rifampin and gentamicin use and outcomes for patients with staphylococcal prosthetic valve endocarditis: a propensity-score adjusted retrospective cohort study.

Suzuki H, Pandya A, Hasegawa S, Tholany J Infection. 2024; .

PMID: 39441462 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-024-02421-8.

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Risk for Cirrhosis and Related Complications in Patients With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Kanwal F, Kramer J, Li L, Yang Y, Cao Y, Yu X JAMA Intern Med. 2024; 184(11):1314-1323.

PMID: 39283612 PMC: 11406452. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.4661.

Abiraterone or Enzalutamide for Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

La J, Wang L, Corrigan J, Lang D, Lee M, Do N JAMA Netw Open. 2024; 7(8):e2428444.

PMID: 39150709 PMC: 11329885. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.28444.

References

Hill M, Rosenwaike I . The Social Security Administration's Death Master File: the completeness of death reporting at older ages. Soc Secur Bull. 2002; 64(1):45-51. View

Lash T, Silliman R . A comparison of the National Death Index and Social Security Administration databases to ascertain vital status. Epidemiology. 2001; 12(2):259-61. DOI: 10.1097/00001648-200103000-00021. View

Schall L, Buchanich J, Marsh G, Bittner G . Utilizing multiple vital status tracing services optimizes mortality follow-up in large cohort studies. Ann Epidemiol. 2001; 11(5):292-6. DOI: 10.1016/s1047-2797(00)00217-9. View

Stampfer M, Willett W, Speizer F, Dysert D, Lipnick R, Rosner B . Test of the National Death Index. Am J Epidemiol. 1984; 119(5):837-9. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113804. View

Acquavella J, Donaleski D, Hanis N . An analysis of mortality follow-up through the National Death Index for a cohort of refinery and petrochemical workers. Am J Ind Med. 1986; 9(2):181-7. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.4700090209. View

Page W, Braun M, Caporaso N . Ascertainment of mortality in the U.S. veteran population: World War II veteran twins. Mil Med. 1995; 160(7):351-5. View

Murphy P, Cowper D, Seppala G, Stroupe K, Hynes D . Veterans Health Administration inpatient and outpatient care data: an overview. Eff Clin Pract. 2002; 5(3 Suppl):E4. View

Lorenz K, Asch S, Yano E, Wang M, Rubenstein L . Comparing strategies for United States veterans' mortality ascertainment. Popul Health Metr. 2005; 3(1):2. PMC: 554976. DOI: 10.1186/1478-7954-3-2. View

Fleming C, Fisher E, Chang C, Bubolz T, Malenka D . Studying outcomes and hospital utilization in the elderly. The advantages of a merged data base for Medicare and Veterans Affairs hospitals. Med Care. 1992; 30(5):377-91. DOI: 10.1097/00005650-199205000-00001. View

10.

Cowper D, Kubal J, Maynard C, Hynes D . A primer and comparative review of major US mortality databases. Ann Epidemiol. 2002; 12(7):462-8. DOI: 10.1016/s1047-2797(01)00285-x. View

11.

Page W, MAHAN C, Kang H . Vital status ascertainment through the files of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration. Ann Epidemiol. 1996; 6(2):102-9. DOI: 10.1016/1047-2797(95)00126-3. View

12.

Ho P, Masoudi F, Spertus J, Peterson P, Shroyer A, McCarthy Jr M . Depression predicts mortality following cardiac valve surgery. Ann Thorac Surg. 2005; 79(4):1255-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2004.09.047. View

13.

Boyle C, DECOUFLE P . National sources of vital status information: extent of coverage and possible selectivity in reporting. Am J Epidemiol. 1990; 131(1):160-8. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115470. View

14.

Williams B, Demitrack L, Fries B . The accuracy of the National Death Index when personal identifiers other than Social Security number are used. Am J Public Health. 1992; 82(8):1145-7. PMC: 1695740. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.82.8.1145. View

15.

Sprenkle M, Niewoehner D, Nelson D, Nichol K . The Veterans Short Form 36 questionnaire is predictive of mortality and health-care utilization in a population of veterans with a self-reported diagnosis of asthma or COPD. Chest. 2004; 126(1):81-9. DOI: 10.1378/chest.126.1.81. View

16.

Dominitz J, Maynard C, Boyko E . Assessment of vital status in Department of Veterans Affairs national databases. comparison with state death certificates. Ann Epidemiol. 2001; 11(5):286-91. DOI: 10.1016/s1047-2797(01)00211-3. View

17.

Wong O, Harris F, Rosamilia K, Raabe G . Updated mortality study of workers at a petroleum refinery in Torrance, California, 1959 to 1997. J Occup Environ Med. 2002; 43(12):1089-102. DOI: 10.1097/00043764-200112000-00011. View

18.

East M, Jollis J, Nelson C, Marks D, Peterson E . The influence of left ventricular hypertrophy on survival in patients with coronary artery disease: do race and gender matter?. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003; 41(6):949-54. DOI: 10.1016/s0735-1097(02)03006-1. View

19.

Wentworth D, Neaton J, Rasmussen W . An evaluation of the Social Security Administration master beneficiary record file and the National Death Index in the ascertainment of vital status. Am J Public Health. 1983; 73(11):1270-4. PMC: 1651155. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.73.11.1270. View

20.

OHare A, Bertenthal D, Shlipak M, Sen S, Chren M . Impact of renal insufficiency on mortality in advanced lower extremity peripheral arterial disease. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2004; 16(2):514-9. DOI: 10.1681/ASN.2004050409. View