Generalisability of The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database: demographics, chronic disease prevalence and mortality rates
Open accessAbstract
Introduction The degree of generalisability of patient databases to the general population is important for interpreting database research. This report describes the representativeness of The Health Improvement Network (THIN), a UK primary care database, of the UK population. Methods Demographics, deprivation (Townsend), Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) condition prevalence and deaths from THIN were compared with national statistical and QOF 2006/2007 data. Results Demographics were similar although THIN contained fewer people aged under 25 years. Condition prevalence was comparable, e.g. 3.5% diabetes prevalence in THIN, 3.7% nationally. More THIN patients lived in the most affluent areas (23.5% in THIN, 20% nationally). Between 1990 and 2009, standardised mortality ratio ranged from 0.81 (95% CI: 0.39-1.49; 1990) to 0.93 (95% CI: 0.48-1.64; 1995). Adjusting for demographics/deprivation, the 2006 THIN death rate was 9.08/1000 population close to the national death rate of 9.4/1000 population. Conclusion THIN is generalisable to the UK for demographics, major condition prevalence and death rates adjusted for demographics and deprivation.
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The IMRD population is broadly representative of the general UK population and comparable to other widely used UK primary care databases, including CPRD GOLD.
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- Authors
- Blak, B., Thompson, M., Dattani, H., & Bourke, A.
- ORCID
- Bourke, Alison
- Venue
- Journal of Innovation in Health Informatics
- Publisher
- Portico
- Published
- 2011-07-01
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 251-255
- ISSN
- 1475-9985 (ISSN-L)
- 2058-4555
- OpenAlex
- W1783190234
- Cited by
- 630
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 57 · 2021: 59 · 2020: 65 · 2019: 57 · 2018: 56 · 2017: 67 · 2016: 59 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 45 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 34.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doaj.org
- Licence
- cc-by-sa
- Locations
- Journal of Innovation in Health Informatics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Journal of Innovation in Health Informatics (BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Health Information Management › Medical Coding and Health Information
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Health Information Management › Electronic Health Records Systems
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Primary Care and Health Outcomes
- Keywords
- Health Improvement Network, primary care databases, generalizability, representativeness, demographic factors, socioeconomic deprivation, Townsend index, chronic disease prevalence, mortality rates, Quality and Outcomes Framework, diabetes prevalence, standardized mortality ratio
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Child, Child, Preschool, Chronic Disease, Demography, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Middle Aged, Socioeconomic Factors, Databases, Factual, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Age Distribution, Sex Distribution, Young Adult, Quality Improvement
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