Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30999919›Full record

ArticleBMC medical informatics and decision making2019

Identifying clinically important COPD sub-types using data-driven approaches in primary care population based electronic health records.

Maria Pikoula, Jennifer Kathleen Quint, Francis Nissen, Harry Hemingway, Liam Smeeth, Spiros Denaxas

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical informatics and decision making, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
43citing papers in PubMed, 5 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

43 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  18. The role of diet and nutrition in the management of COPD.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2023
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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.

Maria PikoulaInstitute of Health Informatics, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, UK. m.pikoula@ucl.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-9138-3603
Jennifer Kathleen QuintHealth Data Research UK London, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, UK.
Francis NissenHealth Data Research UK London, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, UK.
Harry HemingwayInstitute of Health Informatics, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, UK.
Liam SmeethHealth Data Research UK London, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, UK.
Spiros DenaxasInstitute of Health Informatics, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, UK.

Funding

Department of Health RP-PG-0407-10314Medical Research Council G0902393/99558Medical Research Council MR/K006584/1Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 086091/Z/08/ZWellcome Trust WT082178
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCOPD is a highly heterogeneous disease composed of different phenotypes with different aetiological and prognostic profiles and current classification systems do not fully capture this heterogeneity. In this study we sought to discover, describe and validate COPD subtypes using cluster analysis on data derived from electronic health records.

methodsWe applied two unsupervised learning algorithms (k-means and hierarchical clustering) in 30,961 current and former smokers diagnosed with COPD, using linked national structured electronic health records in England available through the CALIBER resource. We used 15 clinical features, including risk factors and comorbidities and performed dimensionality reduction using multiple correspondence analysis. We compared the association between cluster membership and COPD exacerbations and respiratory and cardiovascular death with 10,736 deaths recorded over 146,466 person-years of follow-up. We also implemented and tested a process to assign unseen patients into clusters using a decision tree classifier.

resultsWe identified and characterized five COPD patient clusters with distinct patient characteristics with respect to demographics, comorbidities, risk of death and exacerbations. The four subgroups were associated with 1) anxiety/depression; 2) severe airflow obstruction and frailty; 3) cardiovascular disease and diabetes and 4) obesity/atopy. A fifth cluster was associated with low prevalence of most comorbid conditions.

conclusionsCOPD patients can be sub-classified into groups with differing risk factors, comorbidities, and prognosis, based on data included in their primary care records. The identified clusters confirm findings of previous clustering studies and draw attention to anxiety and depression as important drivers of the disease in young, female patients.

Indexed as

Electronic Health RecordsPrimary Health CareAgedCardiovascular DiseasesCluster AnalysisComorbidityEnglandFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPhenotypePrevalencePrognosisPulmonary Disease, Chronic ObstructiveRisk FactorsCluster analysisCOPD epidemiologyCOPD exacerbationsElectronic health records

Identifiers

PMID30999919
PMCPMC6472089

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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.