Table 3

Comparison of VA Mortality Data with NDI Data by Source (N = 2,998)*
Data Source
 Deceased in Source
 Deceased in NDI
 Sensitivity
 Specificity
 PPV
 NPV








Yes
 No
(95% Confidence Interval)
BIRLS-DF
 Yes
 226
 3
 77.4
 99.9
 98.7
 97.6

No
 66
 2,703
 (72.2 – 82.1)
 (99.7 – 100.0)
 (96.2 – 99.7)
 (97.0 – 98.2)
MSID
 Yes
 35
 0
 12.0
 100.0
 100.0
 91.3

No
 257
 2,706
 (8.49 – 16.3)
 (99.9 – 100.0)
 (90.0 – 100.0)
 (90.3 – 92.3)
MVS
 Yes
 243
 3
 83.2
 99.9
 98.8
 98.2

No
 49
 2,703
 (78.4 – 87.3)
 (99.7 – 100.0)
 (96.5 – 99.7)
 (97.7 – 98.7)
SSA-DMF
 Yes
 269
 3
 92.1
 99.9
 98.9
 99.2

No
 23
 2,703
 (88.4 – 94.9)
 (99.7 – 100.0)
 (96.8 – 99.8)
 (98.7 – 99.5)
Combined data
 Yes
 287
 5
 98.3
 99.8
 98.3
 99.8

No
 5
 2,701
 (96.0 – 99.4)
 (99.6 – 99.9)
 (96.0 – 99.4)
 (99.6 – 99.9)

* NDI indicates the National Death Index; BIRLS-DF, the Beneficiary Identification and Resource Locator Subsystem Death File; MSID, the VHA Medical SAS Inpatient Datasets; MVS, Medicare Vital Status; SSA-DMF, the Social Security Administration Death Master File; PPV, positive predictive value; NPV, negative predictive value.

Sohn et al. Population Health Metrics 2006 4:2   doi:10.1186/1478-7954-4-2