Monitoring the appropriate prescription of low molecular weight heparins and Fondaparinux through administrative data. A retrospective observational study in the Tuscany region

Abstract

Introduction Low Molecular Weight Heparins (LMWHs) and Fondaparinux have been widely used as anticoagulants. Mass prescription may lead to prescriptive inappropriateness, which causes Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and other side effects. Objectives The study investigates the appropriate prescription of LMWHs and Fondaparinux in Tuscany. We aim to validate the crude measure of prescription appropriateness of the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) “Patients treated with LMWHs and Fondaparinux every hundred residents in Tuscany” as a proxy for monitoring prescription appropriateness. Methods To compare a crude KPI based only on drug consumption with a refined KPI based on exclusions listed in the clinical guidelines, a retrospective observational cohort study was carried out, using the RECORD guidelines for the year 2019. The refined indicator is computed via record linkage of different datasets regarding (a) pharmaceutical services; (b) hospital discharge records; (c) outpatient services; and (d) birth certificates. We apply exclusion criteria to identify the cohort of patients. Values of the KPI are compared, by ranking, with those obtained from its refined version. A Spearman test was performed to validate the use of the crude KPI as a proxy. Results 208,717 LMWH and Fondaparinux users are identified, of which 103,299 fall within the study’s inclusion criteria. 16,817 (16%) of LMWHs and Fondaparinux users are classified as high consumption. The refined version of the KPI produces the same ranking results in terms of local health districts (rho = 0.98 p<0.01). Conclusions Although the crude KPI is less refined and detailed than the adjusted indicator computed by our study, it has proven capable to provide an accurate snapshot of the use of these drugs across the region. This analysis is useful to enable regional and local managers to run rapid and simple indicators to monitor the appropriateness of LMWHs and Fondaparinux. This analysis should be reviewed periodically to confirm its accuracy.

How effective are prescriptive governance tools? Results from the application of AIFA notes

“…Al fine di monitorare e valutare i consumi, l’appropriatezza e l’efficienza prescrittiva su base regionale e interregionale, i sistemi di misurazione e valutazione delle performance giocano un ruolo cruciale nella valutazione e nel monitoraggio degli strumenti di governo precedentemente descritti ( 4 - 6 ). Tuttavia, pochi studi si sono concentrati sulla valutazione dell’efficacia degli stessi sia a livello nazionale ( 7 , 8 ) che regionale; nell’ultimo caso spesso si tratta di analisi delle prescrizioni da database amministrativi ( 9 - 11 ).…”