Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28178924›Full record

SynthesisBMC medical research methodology2017

Self-controlled designs in pharmacoepidemiology involving electronic healthcare databases: a systematic review.

Nathalie Gault, Johann Castañeda-Sanabria, Yann De Rycke, Sylvie Guillo, Stéphanie Foulon, Florence Tubach

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC medical research methodology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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  17. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2019
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Nathalie GaultAPHP, Département d'Epidémiologie Biostatistiques et Recherche Clinique, Hôpital Bichat, 75018, Paris, France. nathalie.gault@aphp.fr.ORCID 0000-0002-9913-9760
Johann Castañeda-SanabriaUniversité Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1123 ECEVE, 75018, Paris, France.
Yann De RyckeUniversité Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1123 ECEVE, 75018, Paris, France.
Sylvie GuilloUniversité Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1123 ECEVE, 75018, Paris, France.
Stéphanie FoulonBiostatistics unit, Gustave Roussy, 94800, Villejuif, France.
Florence TubachUniversité Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1123 ECEVE, 75018, Paris, France.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundObservational studies are widely used in pharmacoepidemiology. Several designs can be used, in particular self-controlled designs (case-crossover and self-controlled case series). These designs offer the advantage of controlling for time-invariant confounders, which may not be collected in electronic healthcare databases. They are particularly useful in pharmacoepidemiology involving healthcare database. To be valid, they require the presence of some characteristics (key validity assumptions), and in such situations, these designs should be preferred. We aimed at describing the appropriate use and reporting of the key validity assumptions in self-controlled design studies.

methodsArticles published between January 2011 and December 2014, and describing a self-controlled study design involving electronic healthcare databases were retrieved. The appropriate use (fulfilment of key assumptions) was studied in terms of major (abrupt onset event, rare or recurrent event, and intermittent exposure) and minor assumptions (those for which the design can be adapted).

resultsAmong the 107 articles describing a self-controlled design, 35/53 (66%) case-crossover studies, and 48/55 (87%) self-controlled case series fulfilled the major validity assumptions for use of the design; 4/35 and 14/48 respectively did not fulfill the minor assumptions. Overall, 31/53 (58%) case-crossover studies and 34/55 (62%) self-controlled case series fulfilled both major and minor assumptions. The reporting of the methodology or the results was appropriate, except for power calculation.

conclusionsSelf-controlled designs were not appropriately used in34% and 13% of the articles we reviewed that described a case-crossover or a self-controlled case series design, respectively. We encourage better use of these designs in situations in which major validity assumptions are fulfilled (i.e., for which they are recommended), accounting for situations for which the design can be adapted.

Indexed as

Cross-Over StudiesDatabases, FactualDelivery of Health CareHumansLogistic ModelsOutcome Assessment, Health CarePharmacoepidemiologyReproducibility of ResultsResearch DesignDatabasesObservational studiesPharmacoepidemiologySelf-controlled designsSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID28178924
PMCPMC5299667

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.