Validity of Chronic Venous Disease Diagnoses and Epidemiology Using Validated Electronic Health Records From Primary Care: A Real‐World Data Analysis

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of lower limb chronic venous disease (CVD) diagnoses entered in a large electronic health record database in primary care in Catalonia, Spain; to investigate the reliability of these data for research purposes; and to estimate the prevalence and incidence of CVD, chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), and venous leg ulcer (VLU). Design: Real‐world data analysis based on a large electronic health record database in primary care in Catalonia, Spain. Methods: We used a primary care research database (Information System for the Development of Research in Primary Care [SIDIAP]), which contains anonymous data on some 5.8 million people from 279 primary care centers, accounting for more than 80% of the Catalonian population and 15% of the Spanish population. We evaluated the validity of the ICD‐10 codes for CVD in SIDIAP for 200 adult patients through the responses of 20 primary care physicians to a questionnaire. Findings: The positive predictive value of CVD in SIDIAP was 89.95% (95% confidence interval [CI] 84.99–93.40). The prevalence rates for CVD, CVI, and VLU were 9.54% (95% CI 9.51–9.56), 3.87%, and 0.33%, respectively. The incidence rates for CVD, CVI, and VLU were 7.91/1,000 person‐years (95% CI 7.82–8.00), 3.37/1,000 person‐years (95% CI 3.31–3.43), and 0.23/1,000 person‐years (95% CI 0.21–0.24), respectively. Conclusions: The Catalonian SIDIAP database contains valid CVD diagnoses. The prevalence and incidence rates found using real‐world data are low compared with those in the literature, possibly because CVD is an underdiagnosed entity. Clinical Relevance: Real‐world data can inform clinicians on lower limb venous health in a population, show changes as individuals age, and reveal aspects where healthcare can be improved.This work was supported by Girona University (MPCUdG2016/066), as part of the Professional Nursing Development project and Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol) with the 17th ICS Scholarship for training in research and doctorate in primary care (IDIAP7Z17/020)