Identifying patients using antidepressants for the treatment of depression: A predictive algorithm for use in pharmaceutical and medical claims data

摘要

PurposeRecords of antidepressant dispensings are often used as a surrogate measure of depression. However, as antidepressants are frequently prescribed for indications other than depression, this is likely to result in misclassification. This study aimed to develop a predictive algorithm that identifies patients using antidepressants for the treatment of depression.