Data Resource Profile: The Information System for Research in Primary Care (SIDIAP)

1The Information System for Research in Primary Care (SIDIAP) is a database of population-wide primary care electronic health records that was created to provide a useful tool for healthcare research.SIDIAP includes data from 328 primary care centres managed by the Catalan Health Institute in Catalonia, Spain. The database contains pseudo-anonymized records for >8 million people since 2006, with 5.8 million people active in June 2021 (75% of the Catalan population). SIDIAP is representative of the general population living in Catalonia in terms of age, sex and geographic distribution.SIDIAP is updated on a 6-monthly basis and the median follow-up time of the population is currently 15.5 years.SIDIAP includes high-quality data on demographics, all-cause mortality, disease diagnoses, prescription and dispensation of drugs, laboratory tests, socio-economic indicators, vaccinations, lifestyle information, parent–child linkage and clinical parameters, among others. SIDIAP can be linked on a project-by-project basis to other data sources such as hospital discharges, mental health centres or specific disease registries.Researchers from public institutions can request data access if they comply with certain requirements. Further information is available online (www.sidiap.org).

2The Information System for Research in Primary Care (SIDIAP) is a database of population-wide primary care electronic health records that was created to provide a useful tool for healthcare research.

3SIDIAP includes data from 328 primary care centres managed by the Catalan Health Institute in Catalonia, Spain. The database contains pseudo-anonymized records for >8 million people since 2006, with 5.8 million people active in June 2021 (75% of the Catalan population). SIDIAP is representative of the general population living in Catalonia in terms of age, sex and geographic distribution.

4SIDIAP is updated on a 6-monthly basis and the median follow-up time of the population is currently 15.5 years.

5SIDIAP includes high-quality data on demographics, all-cause mortality, disease diagnoses, prescription and dispensation of drugs, laboratory tests, socio-economic indicators, vaccinations, lifestyle information, parent–child linkage and clinical parameters, among others. SIDIAP can be linked on a project-by-project basis to other data sources such as hospital discharges, mental health centres or specific disease registries.

6Researchers from public institutions can request data access if they comply with certain requirements. Further information is available online (www.sidiap.org).

7Spain has a universal taxpayer-funded health system that is decentralized to its 17 autonomous communities (the country's first level of political and administrative division). Primary care is free of charge and is the main entry point for accessing public non-emergency health-related services that are delivered through primary care. Persons can be referred to secondary care if necessary. Primary care centres are composed of general practitioners (GPs), paediatricians, dentists, nurses, social workers, auxiliary nurses and administrative staff. Additionally, as part of primary care, there are a set of support services such as sexual and reproductive health or home care at the end of life.

8In Catalonia, an autonomous community in north-eastern Spain, the Institut Català de la Salut (ICS, Catalan Health Institute) is the largest healthcare provider. As seen in Figure 1, ICS covers most of the Basic Health Areas (territorial units by which primary healthcare services are organized in Catalonia) across Catalonia. It manages 328 primary care centres covering 5.8 million people, 75% of the population living in Catalonia (the remaining 25% is distributed among other providers whose services are hired by the Department of Health) (Figure 1 and Table 1).

9The Information System for Research in Primary Care (SIDIAP; www.sidiap.org) database includes routinely collected data by >30 000 professionals from the ICS. During the 1990s, the ICS created a computerized programme [estació clínica d’atenció primària (e-CAP)] for the recording of information during primary care visits in a structured format that has been in use since 2005. In 2010, the ICS and the Institute for Primary Health Care Research Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol) created SIDIAP, which included the data collected through the e-CAP programme since 2006. SIDIAP was designed to provide a valid and reliable database of selected information from the patients’ electronic health records (EHRs) for research.

10Table 1 presents the main characteristics of the SIDIAP population. The database has information on 8 036 948 people, of whom 5 801 280 (72.2%) were still active as of 30 June 2021, 1 545 850 (19.2%) had been transferred out of the database (i.e. individuals who had moved out of the catchment area of SIDIAP) and 689 818 (8.6%) had died. Individuals are automatically incorporated into SIDIAP if they are registered in the public health system and have been assigned to a primary care centre of the ICS. The only requirement to do the self-registration in the public health system is to live in Catalonia (based on a census certificate). The registration process is free of charge and can be done online (without having to go to a primary care centre) or in person at a primary care centre. For births that take place in public healthcare facilities, the facility registers the newborn in the public health system. Individuals can subsequently leave the database when they move out of the catchment area (based on the census certificate) of SIDIAP or die. The median follow-up time of the population is 15.2 [interquartile range (IQR): 6.2–15.5] years (Table 1).

11The current SIDIAP population (as of 30 June 2021) has a balanced sex distribution (50.7% are female) and a median age of 44 years (IQR: 25–60). The sex and age distribution of the SIDIAP population is similar to that of the general population in Catalonia (Figure 2). The large majority of the SIDIAP population is of Spanish nationality (83.9%), lives in urban areas (88.4%) and resides in the Barcelona region (75.3%) (Table 1). Interestingly, whereas the majority of the SIDIAP population resides in the Barcelona region, as seen in Figure 1, SIDIAP has a population coverage of ≤24% for several Basic Health Areas of Barcelona City.

12SIDIAP is a dynamic database containing pseudo-anonymized data recorded in primary care centres (e.g. disease diagnoses, lifestyle information, clinical parameters, etc.) on a daily basis. It also contains external information related to the primary care visit such as pharmacy dispensations and results of laboratory tests, among others (Table 2). Although SIDIAP systematically collects data since 2006, information prior to this date is also available due to professionals recording data retrospectively and to the data transferred from paper to the EHRs in certain centres during the computerization process. The database is updated every 6 months and is structured in data domains, each containing the person’s pseudo-anonymized identifier, which allows linkage between them. Although the number of available data domains grows over time, a description of those most widely used is provided in Table 2.

13SIDIAP includes socio-demographic characteristics of the population such as the date of birth (only month and year can be provided to avoid re-identification), sex, nationality, type of residential area (rural or urban), dates of entry and exit (if applicable) and the status at the moment of the data extraction (active, transferred out of SIDIAP or dead). Socio-economic status is captured through individual and ecological indicators. The individual income level (<18 000€, between 18 000€ and 100 000€, >100 000€ per year) and type of occupation (active, retired) are obtained through the pharmaceutical co-payment information. Social class based on occupation is also available for those individuals who have taken sick leave at least once since 2014. The Mortalidad en áreas pequeñas Españolas y Desigualdades Socioeconómicas y Ambientales (MEDEA) deprivation index measures socio-economic status at the census tract level of both the residence and the primary care centre. In addition, the Índice de Privación of 2011 (IP2011) is available at the residential census tract level and the Índice de socioeconómico compuesto (ISC) is calculated at the primary care centre coverage area level.,

14Health conditions are captured via diagnoses registered by healthcare professionals using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codification system (dates of beginning and end of diagnosis given by a GP can be obtained). Currently, the Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification version of the ICD-10 is being used.

15The database also contains comprehensive information regarding prescriptions and dispensations of medications. This includes the drugs (dosage and drug units per day) prescribed by ICS healthcare professionals (mostly GPs although specialists can also initiate a prescription for chronic medications that are continued by GPs in the midterm and long term) that are financed by the Spanish National Health System and dispensed in community pharmacies (number of drug packages dispensed per month). For each drug, the corresponding code from the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System, defined daily dose recommended by the World Health Organization, the strength, the number of units per package and the administration route are available.

16Data on therapeutic and requested procedures, physical examination results, routine measurements and laboratory tests are also captured. Therapeutic procedures include vaccinations (e.g. antigen and the number of administered doses) and health counselling information. Requested procedures comprise diagnostic imaging (e.g. echography, radiology, etc.), tests and scales (e.g. cognitive, pain, mental health, etc.) used in primary care, as well as other cardiovascular, digestive and respiratory diagnostic procedures (e.g. spirometry results, etc.). Physical examination results and routine measurements refer to blood pressure, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), measurements related to child growth and >500 other parameters (e.g. heart rate, cardiovascular risk calculator ‘REGICOR’, etc.). Laboratory tests include information such as cell count, serology and biochemistry, among others, that are collected in each laboratory and automatically integrated into the individual’s EHR.

17SIDIAP also contains lifestyle information. The most widely used indicators include smoking status (categorized into never, former or current smoker) and alcohol intake risk (categorized into no risk, low risk or high risk). The latter is calculated based on the reported amount and the frequency of consumption of alcoholic drinks (e.g. on a daily basis), the type of alcoholic drink and/or whether the consumption is made in risky situations (e.g. pregnancy). This information is converted into standard units of alcohol ingested on a weekly basis and converted into levels of alcohol consumption.

18Data regarding primary care visits are available, including the date of the visit and the type of professional consulted as well as the cause and date of referral to specialists.

19The database includes detailed pregnancy information such as dates of last period and of estimated delivery, along with the type of delivery, the circumstance of the end of the pregnancy (e.g. type of delivery, abortion, etc.), gestational age and trimestral obstetric ultrasounds, among others. SIDIAP contains information about paediatric (<15 years of age) health (e.g. nutrition, development, screening tests, etc.), collected under the framework of the Programa de infancia amb salut (Childhood and Health Program). In addition, parent–child linkage is available for children and adolescents born or entering the database after 2006.

20SIDIAP continues to incorporate new information into the database when needed (e.g. to answer new research questions or to monitor more closely a specific condition or disease, etc.) and possible. For instance, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, SIDIAP incorporated additional information needed to investigate this disease (e.g. polymerase chain reaction test results, administered vaccines, etc.) in a timely fashion.

21Free text that has been previously anonymized is available when sufficient detail cannot be obtained from the structured data. Further information to complement the structured data or to validate diagnoses needed for research can also be obtained through surveys sent to health professionals administered by the ICS.

22The growth in the recording of information in SIDIAP over time is shown in Figure 3a and b. For example, in 2019, ∼80% of the SIDIAP population had at least one visit to primary care and >60% had one clinical diagnosis and/or a prescription/dispensation for a medication (Figure 3a). A decrease in the amount of recorded information can be observed in 2020 (likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic). By 2019, 75% of the population had at least one record available of blood pressure and >60% had a record of alcohol intake, BMI, glucose, total cholesterol and/or smoking status (Figure 3b).

23SIDIAP is a pseudo-anonymized database and does not contain individual personal data. Nevertheless, it can be linked to other data sources on a project-by-project basis through a Trusted Third Party (TTP) using the individuals’ unique personal identifier.

24The information recorded in all Catalan public hospitals is registered in the minimum basic set of hospital discharge data (CMBD-AH) and is linked to SIDIAP through the Programa d'analítica de dades per a la recerca i la innovació en salut (PADRIS, Data Analysis Program for Health Research and Innovation) of the Catalan Department of Health., This linkage has been widely used for SIDIAP research and includes the date and cause of hospitalization and discharge, as well as the codes registered during the stay (in ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS, respectively). Data from psychiatric hospitals, outpatient centres of mental health, dispensed medication in hospital settings and emergency rooms can also be obtained through the same linkage process. In addition, SIDIAP has been previously linked to disease registries of cancer, arthroplasties, dementia, kidney transplants and dialysis, among others.,, Finally, linkage to urban environment indicators (air pollution, noise, green spaces and built environment) at the census tract level and to external cohorts at the individual level have also been conducted. An example of the latter is the population-based prospective peripheral arterial disease study (ARTPER) cohort that includes 3786 individuals aged >49 years recruited in 28 primary care centres of Catalonia through random sampling. The participants were given an appointment for an interview, a blood sample extraction and a visit at which anthropometric indicators were measured (including the ankle arm index examination). The collected data were used to estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of peripheral arterial disease in the general population.

25Internal and external validation processes are carried out to determine the data quality of the SIDIAP information at each data update. These include stratifying the data by geographical regions and year in order to identify differences in data collection that need to be harmonized (e.g. recording of a specific information under different codes). The measurement units of variables measuring one characteristic are also homogenized (e.g. transformation of the data from every laboratory that measures haemoglobin to grams per decilitre). Visual inspection of all data included in the database by week is also conducted, allowing one to see temporal patterns in the registry of a certain variable. With this information, the SIDIAP team can issue recommendations to researchers about the most common variable(s) where certain information is recorded (e.g. there are several variables with information concerning the women’s menopausal status and with these visual inspection tools the SIDIAP team can inform the researchers about which related variables have the largest number of records and could be more helpful to capture menopause). Data availability (longitudinality and reliability), plausibility (range checks and unusual values) and consistency are inspected through visualization tools. In addition, before having access to the data for a requested project, research teams have access to a quality-control report. This document contains counts, years, percentiles, maximums and minimums, incidences and prevalences of the data requested for the project, allowing detection of inconsistencies in the data extraction prior to data delivery.

26External validation processes of the SIDIAP database mainly include assessing the data recorded in SIDIAP through linkage to external gold standard data sources, by analysing free text or by sending questionnaires to health professionals. The quality of a wide number of data captured in SIDIAP (e.g. cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, cardiovascular risk factors and musculoskeletal disorders) has been demonstrated in validation studies.,,,,

27SIDIAP data have been extensively used by national and international institutions to generate real-world evidence. A non-exhaustive list of 223 peer-reviewed published articles and of 306 projects (of which 37 are still ongoing) using the SIDIAP database is available on the SIDIAP website (www.sidiap.org, ‘Projects’ and ‘Dissemination’ tabs). These publications cover a wide range of research topics such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory problems, cancer, mental health, multimorbidity, COVID-19, vaccinations; and research areas including pharmacoepidemiology, evaluation of safety and comparative effectiveness research, characterization of a disease, drug utilization, temporal trends of disease, health economics and evaluation of healthcare services, among others.,,,

28SIDIAP has several strengths. First, the database is representative of the population of Catalonia in terms of age, sex and geographic distribution (Figures 1 and 2). This favours the generalizability of the findings of the studies conducted using SIDIAP to the general population living in Catalonia but also to other comparable regions. Second, due to SIDIAP’s large size, this database can be used to answer research questions that would not be feasible in smaller-sized data sets. Third, the diverse type of data encompassed by this database is also an asset. Not only does SIDIAP include data typically recorded in EHRs (e.g. clinical diagnoses) but also contains socio-demographic information (e.g. socio-economic status or nationality) and lifestyle information (e.g. smoking status or alcohol intake). The parent–child linkage is also a major strength as it allows one to study the impact of parental health and early life exposures on health outcomes during childhood. Furthermore, SIDIAP contains data from external sources such as biomarkers’ information originating from laboratories or prescription and dispensation of drugs, which makes the assessment of drug exposure quite complete. Data from different settings (e.g. disease and hospitalization registries) can also be obtained through diverse linkages, enriching the data available for studies. Finally, SIDIAP is being mapped to different common data models used in European projects. At present, it has already been mapped to the international Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership–Common Data Model (OMOP-CDM), which facilitates and promotes multi-database studies, helps with data management and data analyses, and ensures confidentiality throughout the studies using a federated analysis approach.

29The SIDIAP database also has weaknesses. Although the database is representative of the population living in Catalonia and regions with similar socio-demographics, it is not necessarily so of other regions of Spain or other countries. In addition, data missingness is a common issue of EHRs (e.g. BMI is not recorded for every participant in the database, as seen in Figure 3b) and a recent measurement of a variable of interest might not be available at the index date for a particular study (e.g. the last BMI measurement available might have been recorded years before the index date). However, methodological approaches such as multiple imputations can be implemented to reduce collider bias in research studies. Under-reporting of certain variables is also a limitation that can lead to the underestimation of the frequency of a certain exposure or condition (e.g. less severe behavioural or mental disorders might be more likely to go undiagnosed in clinical practice). Furthermore, individual validation of a complete list of events of interest, as conducted ad hoc in cohort or case–control studies, is not possible for large EHR databases and may lead to misclassification. However, algorithms to capture diseases or conditions can be tested in validation studies and allow the quantification of the data quality. Also, relevant information for research might be recorded in unstructured format (i.e. free text) by health professionals. Although advanced techniques to process these data are not yet available in SIDIAP, previously anonymized free text can be manually explored by researchers. Another limitation refers to clinical practice standards and coding that can change over time, giving rise to observed changes in the incidence of a certain condition that might be unrelated to its epidemiology. Finally, due to the primary care nature of this database, studies conducted with SIDIAP could lack the granularity to answer certain research questions. For instance, specialist prescribing, drugs administered in the hospital setting, drugs purchased over the counter and actual drug intake are not available in the database.

30Any researcher is able to request SIDIAP data to conduct a study. A five-step procedure takes place before data access is granted: (i) the researcher(s) must send an application (standardized form available at www.sidiap.org and study protocol) to the SIDIAP team; (ii) the application is approved by SIDIAP’s Scientific Committee which evaluates the scientific quality and feasibility of the proposal; (iii) the study protocol is approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of IDIAPJGol; (iv) the principal investigator of the study must sign a Good Practice form and, in some cases, an agreement between parties is needed; and (v) a meeting between the research team and the SIDIAP team is arranged to discuss the procedures and set the data extraction. Further information is available online (https://www.sidiap.org/index.php/menu-solicitudesen/application-proccedure) or by contacting Anna Moleras (sidiap@idiapjgol.org). Data access is limited to researchers from public organizations and collaboration with private institutions is possible when a study is required by a regulatory agency or for non-commercial studies within a European project financed by the European Commission.

31In accordance with current European and national law, the data used in this study are only available for the researchers participating in this study. Thus, we are not allowed to distribute or make publicly available the data to other parties.

32The use of the data included in the Information System for Research in Primary Care (SIDIAP) is authorized by the Catalan Health Institute (ICS) and Data Analysis Program for Health Research and Innovation (PADRIS) who ensure the pseudo-anonymization of the information. When linkage with other public data sources is required, ICS or PADRIS act as a Trusted Third Party (TTP) to execute the linkage and provide the new data set already pseudo-anonymized; otherwise, informed consent of patients is needed to access their personal data, using the same TTP. SIDIAP does not provide information subject to re-identification and aggregations or deletions are applied in order to protect pseudo-anonymization. The data are managed in a secure server following all the present legal requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (European Union) 2016/679 and of the Council of 27 April 2016 and Organic Law 3/2018 of 5 December on the protection of personal data and guarantee of Digital Rights.

33This study was exempted from the approval of the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the IDIAPJGol given that the data were directly analysed in the SIDIAP platform and only aggregated results were reported.