Skip to main content

Routine Querying Tools

Sentinel’s routine querying tools allow users to:

  • Identify potential medical product safety concerns
  • Characterize populations of interest
  • Characterize the use of medical products
  • Perform epidemiologic analyses to assess their impact on health outcomes

Sentinel’s routine querying tools fall into four categories: 

Signal Identification Analyses

Signal identification analyses detect new and unsuspected potential safety concerns.

Level 1 Analyses

Level 1 analyses are descriptive analyses. The Sentinel Query Builder application represents a subset of Level 1 functionality.

Level 2 Analyses

Level 2 analyses are retrospective inferential analyses.

Level 3 Analyses

Level 3 analyses are prospective sequential inferential analyses.

 

Learn more about Sentinel’s routine querying tools:

Routine Querying System, also known as Query Request Package (QRP), is comprised of cohort identification and analytic modules

Routine Querying System Reporting Tool produces tables and figures using the files created by using QRP

The routine querying tool you use depends on what you're investigating. 

Routine Querying Tools for Medical Products Only

The tool you use for investigating medical products (only) depends on how the drug is being used. 

Utilization of Individual Drugs

If you are investigating medical product utilization, use level 1 analysis, type 5. 

Utilization Patterns Between Multiple Drugs

If you are investigating medical product switching, use level 1 analysis, type 6.

If you are investigating medical product use overlap, use level 1 analysis, type 2.

Utilization in Pregnancy

If you are investigating medical product use in pregnancy, use level 1 analysis, type 4. 

Routine Querying Tools for Outcomes Only

If you are investigating background rates, use level 1 analysis, type 1. 

Routine Querying Tools for Medical Products & Outcomes

If you are implementing a signal identification analysis, you may use a self-controlled risk interval design with a type 3 or you may use a cohort design and compare a treatment group with a referent group using propensity score adjusted analysis. If your cohort is composed of pregnant women, then a type 4 is used. If your cohort is composed of the general population, then a type 2 is used.

If you are implementing a retrospective Level 2 analysis to investigate a specific health outcome, you may use a self-controlled risk interval design with a type 3 or you may use a cohort design and compare a treatment group with a referent group. The comparison can be adjusted via propensity score or covariate stratification. If your cohort is composed of pregnant women, then a type 4 is used. If your cohort is composed of the general population, then a type 2 is used.

If you are implementing a prospective sequential Level 3 analysis, you may use a self-controlled risk interval design with a type 3 or you may use a cohort design and compare a treatment group with a referent group. The comparison can be adjusted via propensity score or covariate stratification. If your cohort is composed of pregnant women, then a type 4 is used. If your cohort is composed of the general population, then a type 2 is used.

If you are implementing an interrupted time series analysis, you may use a level 2 analysis, type 2.

Interested in learning more about routine querying tools? Below is a full list of Sentinel's routine querying tools.

Over time, Sentinel releases enhancements to its routine querying system. These enhancements expand, improve, and refine study design capabilities. For a full description of each enhancement, please see here: Enhancements to Sentinel's Routine Querying System.

Search Routine Querying Tools

Title Status Date
Sentinel Routine Querying System Reporting Tool Complete
Sentinel Routine Querying System Complete
Routine Querying System: Inpatient Encounter Querying Tool Complete
Mini-Sentinel Modular Program 4: Frequency of Select Events During Concomitant Exposure to a Drug/Procedure Groups of Interest Retired
Sentinel Distributed Query Tool Complete
Distributed Query Tool Summary Table Descriptions Retired
Summary Table V2 Programming Specifications Retired
Technical Discussion of Summary Table V2 Package Retired
Summary Tables SAS Package Retired
Summary Tables Programming Package V2 Investigator Release Notes Retired
Mini-Sentinel Modular Program 3: Frequency of Select Events During Exposure to a Drug/Procedure Group of Interest Retired
Mini-Sentinel Modular Program 8: Uptake, Use, and Persistence of New Molecular Entities (NMEs) Retired
Mini-Sentinel Modular Program 9: Background Rates and Characterization of Health Outcomes of Interest among Individuals with or without Condition(s) of Interest Retired
Mini-Sentinel Modular Program 6: Frequency and Duration of Treatment Following an Event of Interest Retired
Mini-Sentinel Modular Program 7: Drug Use, Medical Diagnoses, and Medical Procedures Before and After an Exposure or Event of Interest Retired
Mini-Sentinel Modular Program 2: Characterization of Use of Medical Product Exposures among Individuals with or without Condition(s) of Interest Retired
Mini-Sentinel Modular Program 5: Background Rates for Health Outcomes of Interest Retired
Mini-Sentinel Modular Program 1: Characterization of Use of Medical Product Exposures Retired