Reviewer's report
Title:Association between oral 5-ASA adherence and health care utilization and
costs among patients with ulcerative colitis
Version: 3Date:3 July 2012
Reviewer: Brian Bressler
Reviewer's report:
Major Compulsory Revisions
Needing only 1 claim with an ICD-9 code for UC to be included in the cohort
seems to be probem considering how many patients were excluded for not
having been prescribed 5-ASA. This suggests that the criteria may not be
specific enough. A sensitivity analysis using more claims prior to the index date
would strengthen the conclusions based on the current analysis.
The authors stated a possible problem with the analysis maybe patients going off
5-ASA agents once prednisone is prescribed. A sensitivity analysis excluding
patients who were ‘nonadherent’ the first year after the use of prednisone would
help address this concern.
Discretionary Revisions
Adherence rates for the different type of 5-ASA products would be interesting to
report.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
I have received honorariums from Shire for advisory board participation and
speaking engagements
Reviewer's report
Title:Association between oral 5-ASA adherence and health care utilization and
costs among patients with ulcerative colitis
Version: 3Date:3 July 2012
Reviewer: Brian Bressler
Reviewer's report:
Major Compulsory Revisions
Needing only 1 claim with an ICD-9 code for UC to be included in the cohort
seems to be probem considering how many patients were excluded for not
having been prescribed 5-ASA. This suggests that the criteria may not be
specific enough. A sensitivity analysis using more claims prior to the index date
would strengthen the conclusions based on the current analysis.
The authors stated a possible problem with the analysis maybe patients going off
5-ASA agents once prednisone is prescribed. A sensitivity analysis excluding
patients who were ‘nonadherent’ the first year after the use of prednisone would
help address this concern.
Discretionary Revisions
Adherence rates for the different type of 5-ASA products would be interesting to
report.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
I have received honorariums from Shire for advisory board participation and
speaking engagements
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Association between oral 5-ASA adherence and health care utilization and
costs among patients with ulcerative colitis
Version: 3Date:3 July 2012
Reviewer: Brian Bressler
Reviewer's report:
Major Compulsory Revisions
Needing only 1 claim with an ICD-9 code for UC to be included in the cohort
seems to be probem considering how many patients were excluded for not
having been prescribed 5-ASA. This suggests that the criteria may not be
specific enough. A sensitivity analysis using more claims prior to the index date
would strengthen the conclusions based on the current analysis.
The authors stated a possible problem with the analysis maybe patients going off
5-ASA agents once prednisone is prescribed. A sensitivity analysis excluding
patients who were ‘nonadherent’ the first year after the use of prednisone would
help address this concern.
Discretionary Revisions
Adherence rates for the different type of 5-ASA products would be interesting to
report.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
I have received honorariums from Shire for advisory board participation and
speaking engagements
assistant