Link Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry Database with Insurance Claims Data: Has it Been Worth it?

Authors:

Carlos Torres-Cintrón (Presenter)
University of Puerto Rico-Comprehensive Cancer Center

Karen Ortiz-Ortiz, University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center
Yadira Roman, University of Puerto Rico-Comprehensive Cancer Center
DIego Zavala, University of Puerto Rico-Comprehensive Cancer Center
Guilermo Tortolero, University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center
Omar Centeno, University of Puerto Rico-Comprehensive Cancer Center

Public Health Statement: For many years the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry (PRCCR) has experienced difficulties to achieve acceptable levels of completeness and to collect specific information regarding treatment of cancer. Alternative sources were explored in order to improve PRCCR’s data quality and completeness. The PRCCR law allows requesting insurance companies’ administrative claims information and therefore an agreement has been established with six insurance companies to receive their claims data that represents more than 80% of PR insured population.

Purpose: Assess the utility of linking insurance claims with the PRCCR database (DB).

Methods/Approach: Claims software was developed by the PRCCR as a case finding tool to import and analyze the claims data. A deterministic match using a similar algorithm to the one used by SEER-Medicare was performed to standardize an efficient method for the process of linking health insurance databases with PRCCR database.

Results: For years 2009–2013, more than 75% of PRCCR patients were linked with Claims DB. Linking Claims DB with PRCCR DB resulted in a decrease of the percentage of cases identified by death certificates, a decrease in cases with county of residence unknown, and an increase of overall PRCCR’s completeness of case ascertainment. Currently, the PRCCR meets CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries’ quality standards.

Conclusions/Implications: Claims DB provides an important tool to optimize the PRCCR DB. In addition, data from insurance claims represent a powerful source for research purposes, including health care cost estimates, evaluate utilization of health services, and measure outcomes of care for cancer patients.