TABLE 1.
Selected algorithms tested for the identification of children and youth (ages 1–24 years) with ASD in Ontario
| Description a | Sensitivity (%) | Specificity (%) | PPV (%) | NPV (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 physician billing claim ever | 74.1 (66.0–82.2) | 98.9 (98.7–99.1) | 42.6 (35.6–49.5) | 99.7 (99.6–99.8) |
| 1 physician billing claim code by any specialist | 66.1 (57.3–74.8) | 99.1 (98.9–99.2) | 44.3 (36.8–51.8) | 99.6 (99.5–99.7) |
| Hospital discharge or emergency department visit or outpatient surgery or 1 physician billing claim | 75.9 (68.0–83.8) | 98.9 (98.6–99.1) | 42.9 (36.0–49.8) | 99.7 (99.6–99.8) |
| Hospital discharge or emergency department visit or outpatient surgery or 1 physician billing claim by any specialist | 67.9 (59.2–76.5) | 99.0 (98.9–99.2) | 44.7 (37.2–52.2) | 99.6 (99.5–99.8) |
| Hospital discharge or emergency department visit or outpatient surgery or (2 physician billing claims in 2 years) | 57.1 (48.0–66.3) | 99.3 (99.1–99.5) | 48.5 (40.0–57.0) | 99.5 (99.4–99.7) |
| Hospital discharge or emergency department visit or outpatient surgery or (2 physician billing claims in 2 years at least 1 physician billing claim by any specialist) | 52.7 (43.4–61.9) | 99.4 (99.2–99.5) | 48.4 (39.5–57.2) | 99.5 (99.3–99.6) |
| Hospital discharge or emergency department visit or outpatient surgery or (2 physician billing claims in 3 years) | 59.8 (50.7–68.9) | 99.3 (99.1–99.5) | 49.3 (40.9–57.7) | 99.5 (99.4–99.7) |
| Hospital discharge or emergency department visit or outpatient surgery or (2 physician billing claims in 3 years at least 1 physician billing claim by any specialist) | 53.6 (44.3–62.8) | 99.4 (99.2–99.5) | 48.4 (39.6–57.2) | 99.5 (99.3–99.6) |
| Hospital discharge or emergency department visit or outpatient surgery or (3 physician billing claims in 2 years) | 45.5 (36.3–54.8) | 99.6 (99.4–99.7) | 54.3 (44.2–64.3) | 99.4 (99.2–99.5) |
| Hospital discharge or emergency department visit or outpatient surgery or (3 physician billing claims in 2 years at least 1 physician billing claims by any specialist) | 45.5 (36.3–54.8) | 99.6 (99.5–99.7) | 56.0 (45.8–66.2) | 99.4 (99.2–99.5) |
| Hospital discharge or emergency department visit or outpatient surgery or (3 physician billing claims in 3 years) | 50.0 (40.7–59.3) | 99.6 (99.4–99.7) | 56.6 (46.8–66.3) | 99.4 (99.3–99.6) |
| Hospital discharge or emergency department visit or outpatient surgery or (3 physician billing claims in 3 years at least 1 physician billing claim by any specialist) | 49.1 (39.8–58.4) | 99.6 (99.5–99.7) | 57.9 (48.0–67.8) | 99.4 (99.3–99.6) |
Abbreviations: ASD, autism spectrum disorder; NPV, negative predictive value; PPV, positive predictive value.
a
Physician billing claims included 299 “childhood psychoses e.g., autism.” Codes from all other sources (e.g., hospital discharge, emergency department visit) included ICD‐9 codes (299.x) and ICD‐10 codes (F84.x). Specialists include pediatricians, psychiatrists, and neurologists.