Validity and utilization of epidemiological data: A study of ischaemic heart disease and coronary risk factors in a local population

Data for epidemiological analyses of diseases are often based on hospital discharge data. This study found that hospital discharge data provide limited information on patients treated for IHD and coronary risk factors, except for AMI. These findings suggest that hospital discharge data should be combined with outpatient care data to provide a more comprehensive estimate of the burden of IHD and its risk factors.