Clinical Codes Associated with Pregnancy in Uncommon Patient Groups
Overview
This study investigates the prevalence of pregnancy-related clinical codes in male patients and older females within primary care settings during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting discrepancies in coding practices between two major electronic health record systems, EMIS and TPP.
Background
Accurate coding of pregnancy status is essential for public health monitoring, particularly for vaccine coverage and safety surveillance. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for reliable data on pregnancy-related health issues.
Data Highlights
Group
EMIS
TPP
Males (0-39 years)
0.1 per 1000
0.3 per 1000
Females (70+ years)
0.1 per 1000
0.5 per 1000
Females (16-39 years)
100.4 per 1000
99.4 per 1000
Females (40-69 years)
8.2 per 1000
6.3 per 1000
Key Findings
0.1 to 0.4 per 1000 males had recent pregnancy/delivery codes in their GP records.
Up to 0.5 per 1000 females aged 70+ years had recent pregnancy codes.
The most common code among males and older females in TPP was 'knee presentation' (249098007).
Inconsistent coding practices were noted between EMIS and TPP systems.
Pregnancy-related codes may be erroneously recorded due to template misapplications.
Clinical Implications
Healthcare providers should be aware of potential inaccuracies in pregnancy coding, particularly in older patients and males.
Conclusion
The study reveals discrepancies in the recording of pregnancy-related codes in primary care.
