Researchers have found insurers' billing claims may provide an easy and accurate way to track long-term outcomes for kidney transplant recipients. Claims from kidney transplant recipients have identified post-transplant complications. The data also provides measures for conducting timely, cost-effective research on large populations.
 
The database of information from billing claims is able to track physician visits, hospitalizations, and can be used for evaluating clinical events in several studies. Specific diagnoses from claims include congestive heart failure, stroke, cardiac catheterization, coronary artery bypass grafting, among others.
 
The findings are an important step in recognizing and assessing post-transplant complications.

This article originally appeared in the July 2009 issue of Kidney Transplant Today.