BIG (Business Intelligence in the health care system)

Summary

Strengths: This registry has the potential to match different data sources. Through this system, health experts can find answers to complex and specific research questions regarding health care system performance. Prescription data is updated every month and other data is updated quarterly or once a year. Users may retrieve information through standard reports, ad-hoc queries directly from dataset or may obtain customized reports choosing relevant parameters. Weaknesses: The registry is not user-friendly and researchers need data management expertise in order to use the complex dataset.

Type of data

Data Source
Other, please specify

Type of Study
Other: Registry

Data gathering method
Other: Health data information system containing anonymised reimbursement and registry data from multiple sources

Access to data

Conditions of access

Type of available data (e.g. anonymised microdata, aggregated tables, etc.)
Anonymised microdata

Formats available
Queries for data can be obtained in Excel (.xls, .csv, . Txt)

Coverage

Coverage Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes
Data includes all those covered by social insurance (approximately 98% of the population)

First year of collection
Depending on data (1995, 2001)

Stratification if applicable
Stratification possible for age, gender and district.

Base used for sampling

Geographical coverage and breakdowns
Austria down to district level

Age range
All ages

Statistical representativeness
Population representative

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics
Data collected on drug information, which includes prescription data (updated monthly) and (electronic) reimbursement codex. The data can be broken down by DDD and ATC-codes and by type of medical specialist and geographical region, by cost of drug, area of prescription, sickness fund, type and age of patient since 2000. General information is from sickness funds (financial and cost-performance statistics, number of entitled persons), DIAG-Extranet data (inpatient data), out-patient data (physician cost statistic (Ärztekostenstatistik), ambulatory care providers, e-card consultations and the Population registry data (Statistik Austria). Corresponds to Health and Performance Topic

Linkage

Standardisation
Standardization based on age for the Region and Sickness Fund.

Possibility of linkage among databases
The data warehouse BIG matches data from listed data sources, i.e. matching of alternative drugs to each prescription, thus allowing for calculations on cost reduction potentials. There is no matching on the individual level.

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable
Not reported

Breaks
Not reported

Consistency of terminology or coding used during collection
Not reported

Governance

Contact information
Alexander Ganjeizadeh-Rouhani
Main Association of the Austrian Social Insurance Institutions (Hauptverband der österreichischen Sozialversicherungsträger)
Kundmanngasse 21
1031 Wien Austria Phone: +43 1 711 320
Email: alexander.ganjeizadeh(at)hvb.sozvers.at
Url:

Timeliness, transparency