Danish Registry Reviews
Resources
Danish Registries and Resources for Pharmacoepidemiological Research
The Danish Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (DSFE) provides this overview to help researchers find publications describing Danish
registries and their use in pharmacoepidemiological research. It brings together registry descriptions and reviews, selected validation
studies, and methodological guidance.
The overview is organised into five sections:
- National health registers
- National socioeconomic registers
- Clinical or local databases
- Validation studies
- Common definitions and methodological guidance in pharmacoepidemiology
For a general introduction, we recommend the 2019 review by Morten Schmidt and colleagues,
(doi: 10.2147/CLEP.S179083). This describes the Danish healthcare system and its medical databases, providing a useful starting point
for researchers.
Registry content, coverage, and access procedures may change over time, and new studies may provide additional information on data
quality and research methods. This overview is intended as a practical starting point rather than an exhaustive bibliography. Researchers
should consult the relevant publications and current documentation when planning a study.
We welcome suggestions for additional resources, updated references, or corrections.
Please contact info@dsfe.dk.
Overview of the Danish Registries
National Health Registers | ||||||
Danish name | English name | Publication title | Authors | Year | Journal | DOI |
CPR-registret | The Civil Registration System | The Danish Civil Registration System as a tool in epidemiology | Schmidt M, Pedersen L, Sørensen HT | 2014 | Eur J Epidemiol 2014;29:541-9 | 10.1007/s10654- 014-9930-3 |
Landspatient-registeret | The Danish National Patient Registry | The Danish National Patient Registry: a review of content, data quality, and research potential | Schmidt M, Schmidt SAJ, Sandegaard JL, et al | 2015 | Clin Epidemiol 2015;7:449-90 | 10.2147/CLEP. S91125 |
Lægemiddel- statistikregisteret | The Danish National Prescription Registry | Data Resource Profile: The Danish National Prescription Registry | Pottegård A, Schmidt S, Wallach-Kildemoes H, Sørensen HT, Schmidt M | 2017 | Int J Epidemiol . 2017 Jun 1;46(3):798-798f. | 10.1093/ije/ dyw213 |
Sygesikrings-registeret | The Danish National Health Service Register | The Danish National Health Service Register | Andersen JS, Olivarius NDF, Krasnik A | 2011 | Scand J Public Health 2011 Jul; 39(7 Suppl):34-7 | 10.1177/1403 494810394718 |
Sygehus-medicinregisteret | The Danish National Hospital Medicine Register | Data Resource Profile: The Danish National Hospital Medicine Register | Andersen MA, Jensen TL, Petersen TS | 2024 | Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2024 Nov; 33(11):e70054 | 10.1002/pds. 70054 |
Cancerregisteret | The Danish Cancer Registry | The Danish Cancer Registry | Gjerstorff ML | 2011 | Scand J Public Health 2011 Jul; 39(7 Suppl):42-5 | 10.1177/1403 494810393562 |
IVF-registeret | In Vitro Fertilisation register | The Danish National Register of assisted reproductive technology: content and research potentials | Jølving LR, Erb K, Nørgård BM, Fedder J, Larsen Md | 2021 | Eur J Epidemiol. 2021 Apr; 36(4):445-452 | 10.1007/s10654 -021-00742-8 |
Patologiregisteret | The Danish Pathology Register | Existing data sources for clinical epidemiology: the Danish National Pathology Registry and Data Bank. | Erichsen R, Lash TL, Hamilton-Dutoit | 2010 | Clin Epidemiol. 2010 Aug 9;2:51-6 | 10.2147/CLEP. S9908 |
Laboratoriedatabasen | Register of Laboratory Results for Research | Existing Data Sources in Clinical Epidemiology: Laboratory Information System Databases in Denmark | Arendt JFH, Hansen AT, Ladefoged SA, Sørensen HT, Pedersen L, Adelborg K | 2020 | Clin Epidemiol. 2020 May 18;12:469-475 | 10.2147/CLEP. S245060 |
Dødsårsagsregistret | The Danish Register of Causes of Death | The Danish Register of Causes of Death | Helweg-Larsen K | 2011 | Scand J Public Health 2011; 39:26-9 | 10.1177/14034 94811399958 |
Medicinske fødselsregister | Meidcal Birth Registry | The Danish Medical Birth Register | Bliddal M, Broe A, Pottegård A, et al | 2018 | Eur J Epidemiol 2018; 33: 27-36 | 10.1007/s10654- 018-0356-1 |
Danske Vaccinationsregister | The Danish Vaccination Register | The Danish vaccination register | T Grove Krause, S Jakobsen, M Haarh, K Mølbak | 2012 | Eurosurveillance | 10.2807/ese.17. 17.20155-en |
Børnedatabasen | The Danish National Child Health Register | The Danish National Child Health Register | Andersen MP, Wiingreen R, Eroglu TE, Christensen HC, Polcwiartek LB, Blomberg SNF, Kragholm K, Torp-Pedersen C, Sørensen KK. | 2023 | Clin Epidemiol. 2023 Nov 14;15:1087-1094 | 10.2147/CLEP. S423587 |
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National Socioeconomic Registers | ||||||
Danish name | English name | Publication title | Authors | Year | Journal | DOI |
Indkomstregistret | Income Statistics Register | Danish registers on personal income and transfer payments | Baadsgaard M, Quitzau J | 2011 | Scand J Public Health 2011; 39:103-5 | 10.1177/1403 494811405098 |
Uddannelsesregistre | The Danish Population Education Register | Danish Education Registers | Jensen VM, Rasmussen AW | 2011 | Scand J Public Health 2011 Jul; 39(7 Suppl):91-4. | 10.1177/1403 494810394715 |
Beskæftigelsesregistre | Registers on Labour Market Affliation | Danish registers on personal labour market affiliation | Petersson F, Baadsgaard M, Thygesen LC | 2011 | Scand J Public Health 2011 Jul; 39(7 Suppl):95-8. | 10.1177/1403 494811408483 |
DREAM-registeret | Danish Register for Evaluation of Marginalisation (DREAM) | Register-based follow-up of social benefits and other transfer payments: accuracy and degree of completeness in a Danish interdepartmental administrative database compared with a population-based survey | Hjollund NH, Larsen FB, Andersen JH | 2007 | Scand J Public Health 2007; 35(5):497-502. | 10.1080/1403 490701271882 |
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Clinical or Local Databases | ||||||
Danish name | English name | Publication title | Authors | Year | Journal | DOI |
Den Danske Mikrobiology Database | Danish Microbiology Database | The Danish Microbiology Database (MiBa) 2010 to 2013 | Voldstedlund M, Haarh M, Mølbak K | 2014 | Euro Surveill. 2014 Jan 9;19(1):20667 | 10.2807/1560 -7917.es2014. 19.1.2066 |
Odense Pharmaco-epidemiolocial Database (OPED) | Odense Pharmaco-epidemiolocial Database (OPED) | Odense Pharmacoepidemiological Database: A Review of Use and Content | Hallas J, Hellfritzsch M, Rix M, et al | 2017 | Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2017 May;120(5):419-425 | 10.1111/bcpt. 12764 |
Sessionsregistret | Danish Conscription Registry Data (DCRD) | Data Resource Profile: Danish Conscription Registry Data (DCRD) | Christensen GT, Skogstad S, Nissen LR, Osler M | 2018 | Int J Epidemiol | 10.1093/ije/ dyy048 |
Dansk Reumatologisk Database (DANBIO) | Danish Rheumatology Quality Register (DANBIO) | The Danish nationwide clinical register for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: DANBIO | Else Helene Ibfelt, Dorte Vendelbo Jensen, Merete Lund Hetland | 2016 | Clin Epidemiol | 10.2147/CLEP. S99490 |
Databaseoversigt: Sundhedsvæsnets Kvalitetsinstitut (Tidligere RKKP) | Database overview: The Danish Healthcare Quality Institute | SundK (RKKP) | 2026 | Website | https:// | |
EKG-databasen | The Danish Nationwide ECG Cohort | The Danish Nationwide Electrocardiogram (ECG) Cohort | Polcwiartek C, Andersen MP, Christensen HC, Torp-Pedersen C, Sørensen KK, Kragholm K, Graff C | 2024 | Eur J Epidemiol. 2024 Mar;39(3):325-333. | 10.1007/s10654 -024-01105-9 |
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Validation Studies | ||||||
Registers and Diagnoses | Validation | Publication title | Authors | Year | Journal | DOI |
National Prescription Register | Indication of use | Validation of the “Indication for Use” (INDO) Variable in the Danish National Prescription Registry | Harbi H, Pottegård A | 2024 | Epidemiology. 2024 Jan 1;35(1):1-6 | 10.1097/EDE. 000000000000 1666 |
Medical Birth Register | Obestetric Diagnosis and Procedure Codes | Validation of Obstetric Diagnosis and Procedure Codes in the Danish National Patient Registry in 2017 | Kamille Herskind, Peter Bjødstrup Jensen, Christina Anne Vinter, Lone Krebs, Lene Friis Eskildsen, Anne Broe, Anton Pottegård, Mette Bliddal | 2024 | Clin Epidemiol. 2024 Feb 21;16:121-130 | 10.2147/CLEP. S441123 |
Inpatient vs outpatint in LPR | Visit types definitions across LPR2 and LPR3 | Classification of Inpatient and Outpatient Contacts in the Danish National Patient Register: Epidemiological Implications and Future Directions | Ann-Sophie Buchardt, Jacob Bodilsen, Lene Wohlfahrt Dreyer, Kirsten Skjærbæk Duch, Pi Vejsig Madsen, Bergur Magnussen, Rasmus Gregersen Mottlau, Jens-Jakob Møller, Flemming Skjøth, Marie Villumsen, Andreas Jensen | 2026 | Clin Epidemiol. 2026 Aug 10;18:601090 | 10.2147/CLEP. S601090 |
Overweigth and Obesity in LPR | ICD-10 code E66 | Validity of ICD-10 diagnoses of overweight and obesity in Danish hospitals | Gribsholt SB, Pedersen L, Richelsen B, Thomsen RW | 2019 | Clin Epidemiol. 2019 Sep 11;11:845-854 | 10.2147/CLEP. S214909 |
Stroke in LPR | ICD-10 codes for stroke | Predictive value of stroke discharge diagnoses in the Danish National Patient Register | Pernille Lühdorf, Kim Overvad, Erik B Schmidt, Søren P Johnsen, Flemming W Bach | 2017 | Scand J Public Health. 2017 Aug;45(6):630-636 | 10.1177/1403 494817716582 |
Type 1 and 2 Diabetes using various registers | Type 1 and 2 Diabetes | Validation of Register-Based Diabetes Classifiers in Danish Data | Anders Aasted Isaksen, Annelli Sandbæk, Lasse Bjerg | 2023 | Clin Epidemiol. 2023 May 5;15:569-581. | 10.2147/CLEP. S407019 |
Cardiovascular diagnoses in LPR | ICD-10 codes for numerous CVD | Positive predictive value of cardiovascular diagnoses in the Danish National Patient Registry: a validation study | Jens Sundbøll, Kasper Adelborg, Troels Munch, Trine Frøslev, Henrik Toft Sørensen, Hans Erik Bøtker, Morten Schmidt | 2016 | BMJ Open. 2016 Nov 18;6(11):e012832 | 10.1136/ bmjopen- 2016-01283 |
Asthma diagnoses in LPR | ICD-8 and ICD-10 codes for asthma | Validity of asthma diagnoses in the Danish National Registry of Patients, including an assessment of impact of misclassification on risk estimates in an actual dataset | Annette Østergaard Jensen, Gunnar Lauge Nielsen, Vera Ehrenstein | 2010 | Clin Epidemiol. 2010 Aug 9;2:67-72 | 10.2147/clep. s6875 |
Rheumatoid arthritis in LPR | ICD-10 codes for RA subtypes | Positive predictive value of first-time rheumatoid arthritis diagnoses and their serological subtypes in the Danish National Patient Registry | Asta Linauskas, Kim Overvad, Martin Berg Johansen, Kristian Stengaard-Pedersen, Annette de Thurah | 2018 | Clin Epidemiol. 2018 Nov 21;10:1709-1720 | 10.2147/CLEP. S175406 |
COPD (KOL) in LPR | ICD-10 code J44 | Validity and underrecording of diagnosis of COPD in the Danish National Patient Registry | Reimar W. Thomsena, Birthe Hellquistc, Ejvind Frausing, Paul D. Bartelsd, Birgitte R. Krogd, Anne-Marie S. Hansen, Daniel Bucka, Anette E. Bunk | 2011 | Respir Med. 2011 Jul;105(7):1063-8 | 10.1016/j.rmed. 2011.01.012 |
19 Charlson comorbidity conditions in LPR | ICD-10 codes for 19 conditioins | The predictive value of ICD-10 diagnostic coding used to assess Charlson comorbidity index conditions in the population-based Danish National Registry of Patients | Sandra K Thygesen, Christian F Christiansen, Steffen Christensen, Timothy L Lash, Henrik T Sørensen | 2011 | BMC Med Res Methodol. 2011 May 28;11:83 | 10.1186/1471- 2288-11-83 |
Acute kidney injury (AKI) in LPR vs LAB | AKI LPR diagnoses versus laboratory-identified AKI | Sensitivity and positive predictive value of diagnosis codes for acute kidney injury in Denmark | Sidse Høyer, Uffe Heide-Jørgensen, Simon Kok Jensen, Anton Pottegård, Christian Fynbo Christiansen | 2026 | Clin Kidney J. 2026 Jan 28;19(3):sfag019 | 10.1093/ckj/ sfag019 |
Cancer diagnoses across Danish registers | Overview of all validation studies on various cancer diagnoses as registered in Danish registers | Quality of cancer-related data from the Danish National patient registry (1994–2025) and the Danish cancer registry (2004–2025): a systematic review | Amalie Helme Simoni, Kathrine Hald, Thure Filskov Overvad, Mette Søgaard & Anne Gulbech | 2026 | Eur J Epidemiol. 2026 Mar;41(3):273-296 | 10.1007/s10654- 025-01336-4 |
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Common Definitions/ Terminology in Pharmacoepi | Validation/Definition | Publication title | Authors | Year | Journal | DOI |
Washout period paper | Definition and examples | Incidence in pharmacoepidemiology—Basic definitions and types of misclassification |
| 2022 | Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol | |
Waiting time distribution | Definition and examples | Determining prescription durations based on the parametric waiting time distribution | Henrik Støvring, Anton Pottegård, Jesper Hallas | 2016 | Pharmaco-epidemiology and Drug Safety | |
SEPLINE | Socioeconomic status in Denmark | Socioeconomic Position in Epidemiological Research—A National Guideline on Danish Registry Data | Cathrine F Hjorth, Thora M Kjærulff, Mette K Thomsen, Deirdre Cronin-Fenton, Susanne O Dalton, Maja H Olsen | 2025 | Clin Epidemiol | |
Active comparator, new user (ACNU) study design | Definition and examples of ACNU | The active comparator, new user study design in pharmacoepidemiology: historical foundations and contemporary application | Jennifer L. Lund, David B. Richardson, and Til Stürmer | 2015 | Current Epidemiology Reports | 10.1007/s40471- 015-0053-5 |
Target Trial Emulation (TTE) | Definiton and framework for causal inference using observational Data | Target Trial Emulation | Miguel A. Hernán, Wei Wang, David E. Leaf | 2022 | JAMA Network | doi:10.1001/jama. 2022.21383 |
Lag times in pharmaco-epidemiology | Definition and examples from cancer pharmaco-epidemiology | he application of lag times in cancer pharmacoepidemiology: a narrative review |
| 2023 | Annals of Epidemiology | |
Time‐varying exposure | Overview and guidance on how to address problems related to time‐varying exposure | Methods for time‐varying exposure related problems in pharmacoepidemiology: An overview | Laura Pazzagli, Marie Linder, Mingliang Zhang, Emese Vago, Paul Stang, David Myers, Morten Andersen, Shahram Bahmanyar | 2017 | Pharmaco-epidemiology and Drug Safety | |
A priori power calculations using observational databases (typical reviewer/funder feedback) | Discussion of a priori power calculations using observational databases vs clinical trials | Causal analyses of existing databases: no power calculations required | Miguel A Hernán | 2022 | The Journal of Clinical Epidemiology |