Table 4

Sensitivity Rates of Mortality Data by Selected Subgroups and Source for Veterans, 1999 – 2002

Subgroups
N (%)
Sensitivity (95% Confidence Interval)**





BIRLS-DF
SSA-DMF
Combined

VHA Healthcare Use*




     Inpatient Users
387 (12.9)
86.3 (76.2 – 93.2)
94.5 (86.6 – 98.5)
100.0 (95.1 – 100.0)
     Outpatient Users
2,101 (70.1)
80.2 (73.8 – 85.7)
93.0 (88.4 – 96.2)
100.0 (98.0 – 100.0)
     Non-Users
894 (29.8)
72.1 (62.5 – 80.5)
90.4 (83.0 – 95.3)
95.2 (89.1 – 98.4)
Age on Jan. 1, 1999




     < 65
1,762 (58.8)
67.6 (55.5 – 78.2)
91.5 (82.5 – 96.8)
95.8 (88.1 – 99.1)
     65 or older
1,236 (41.2)
80.5 (74.7 – 85.5)
92.3 (88.0 – 95.5)
99.1 (96.8 – 99.9)

* Based on any health care use in the VHA in 1999 – 2002.

** BIRLS-DF indicates the Beneficiary Identification and Record Locator Subsystem Death File; SSA-DMF, the Social Security Administration Death Master File.

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