Use of a multi-state model in a claims database: illustration with methadone

摘要

PurposeIn pharmacoepidemiology, one of the main concerns is analysis of drug exposure time. However, in real-life settings, patient's behavior is complex and characterized by drug exposure dynamics. Multi-state models allow assessing the probabilities of various patterns, instead of just continuous use and/or discontinuation. The aim of this study was to illustrate with methadone, the use of multi-state model (MSM) in a large claims database.