OBJECTIVES: Databases that integrate information from primary and specialist care medical records offer an information source that may be useful for studies of epidemiology, therapeutic adaptation and health/non-healthcare resource use and associated costs. The objective of the study was to determine the validity and representativeness of the BIG-PAC database electronic medical records in usual clinical practice in Spain.

METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was carried out, based on review of health records obtained from health providers in various primary and hospital centres in Spain, unified in the BIG-PAC anonymized database since 2012 (1.9 million patients). Validation of the quality of the records was made through: a) indicative comparison of population prevalences (hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, asthma) in patients aged 35-74 years, and b) comparison of biochemical/anthropometric parameters (systolic blood pressure [mmHg], body mass index [BMI, kg/m²], baseline-glycemia [mg/dL], cholesterol [mg/dL]) and other parameters, with the literature consulted. Representativeness was measured by comparison with the Spanish age pyramid in 2018. Descriptive statistical-analysis.

RESULTS: We analysed the records of 589,385 patients aged 35-74 years attended during 2018. The mean age was 43.5 years and 52.4% were female. The population prevalences of the indicators studied were 6.2%, 9.1%, 31.0% and 32.8% respectively. Complete information was obtained for 72.5% of the parameters. The means (SD) of the indicators were: 129.1 (25.3) mmHg, 28.8 (14.2) kg/m², 95.2 (25.7) mg/dL and 197.5 (33.5) mg/dL. Comparison of the age distribution and sex of the BIG-PAC population with the Spanish population showed they were similar. Various subanalyses were made.

CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish BIG-PAC database is acceptable in terms of the quality of the records and the representativeness compared with the Spanish population, according to the indicators analysed. Currently, other types of qualitative/quantitative comparisons are being carried out with other national and international databases to ensure the quality of the records.