Accuracy of co-morbidity data in patients undergoing abdominal wall hernia repair: a retrospective study

ConclusionsOur results demonstrated that HES co-morbidity codes in patients undergoing abdominal wall hernia repair are specific with good positive predictive value; however, they have substandard accuracy, sensitivity, and negative predictive value. The presence of a relatively large number of false negative or missed cases in HES database explains our findings. Better documentation of co-morbidities in admission clerking proforma may help to improve the quality of source documents for coders, which in turn may improve the accuracy of coding.
Source: Hernia - Category: Sports Medicine Source Type: research