Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Administrative claims are an efficient and accurate method of identifying members with specific characteristics for direct-to-patient studies. The Healthcare Integrated Research Database (HIRD) has served as a sampling frame for numerous survey and qualitative studies; however, a better understanding of characteristics of survey-eligible members (i.e. fully-insured members enrolled in commercial or Medicare Advantage health plans who can be included in direct-to-patient studies) is required. This study evaluates similarities between survey-eligible and not survey-eligible populations across various demographic and clinical measures.
METHODS: The HIRD is a large, US database curated for health-related research. Using the 2024 HIRD researchable population with medical and pharmacy benefits, we compared the survey-eligible population to the not survey-eligible population. Compared measures included: Sex (Male; Female; Missing), Age-Group (0-17; 18-24; 25-44; 45-64; 65-75; >75), Region (Northeast; South; Midwest; West; Missing), Race and Ethnicity (American Indian or Alaska Native, Non-Hispanic (NH); Asian, NH; Black or African American, NH; Hispanic or Latino of any race; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, NH; White, NH; Other race, NH; Unknown or Undisclosed), Insurance Type (Commercial; Medicare Advantage), and Quan-Charlson Comorbidity Index (QCI) (QCI=0; QCI=1; QCI=2; QCI>3). For each measure, the probability distributions of the two populations were compared using the overlap index (η) where 0% means no overlap and 100% means complete overlap to determine the similarity between the two populations.
RESULTS: Comparing probability distributions of survey-eligible (N=2,840,653) and not survey-eligible (N=11,129,686) populations, overlap indices (η) are sex=98.3%; race and ethnicity=96.3%; QCI=90.3%; region=84.1%; insurance type=76.5%; and age group=75.0%.
CONCLUSIONS: Survey-eligible and not survey-eligible populations are highly similar (η>90%) for sex, race and ethnicity, and QCI. Increased survey-eligibility of Medicare Advantage members contributes to differences by insurance type, age, and region. The survey-eligible HIRD population resembles the overall researchable population and strengthens confidence in generalizing survey and qualitative research findings to the broader source population.