Variations in the Accuracy of Obstetric Procedures and Diagnoses on Birth Records in Washington State, 1989

Abstract

The authors abstracted a sample of 7,536 hospital medical records to validate the accuracy of the coding of obstetric information on 1) birth certificates, 2) a statewide computerized hospital discharge abstract data system, and 3) a linked file merging birth certificates and the hospital abstract data for Washington State deliveries occurring in 1989. Measures of accuracy of coding of delivery method and obstetric procedures varied greatly among the 23 hospitals that participated in the study. Computerized hospital discharge data were generally more complete and accurate than were birth certificate data. The linked file was more likely to identify obstetric procedures than was either source alone. For example, only 84.1% of cesarean deliveries noted in the hospital charts were identified on birth certificates (range among hospitals, 37-100%). Using the linked file, the authors identified 99.8% of cesarean deliveries (range, 97-100%). Linked birth certificate-hospital abstract files may become an excellent source of data for epidemiologic and health care studies; however, further training of medical record personnel and standardization of coding are needed to improve the quality of computerized data on obstetric events.

Characteristics of 2733 Cases Diagnosed with Deformational Plagiocephaly and Changes in Risk Factors over Time

“…In Washington State, this limitation is minimized by linking the birth-hospital discharge data for the mother-infant pair to the birth certificate data. A validity study comparing birth certificate linked to mother-infant birth-hospital discharge data with hospital charts (the gold standard) in Washington State demonstrated that the birth certificate-hospital discharge linked file improved reporting compared with either source alone (Parrish et al, 1993). Underreporting remains a common problem (Parrish et al, 1993), yet for most infant and birth characteristics it is unlikely to have differed systematically over time.…”

“…Birth and death certificate information was linked by the DOH to mother-and infant-related hospitalization data extracted from a database that routinely collected all hospital discharges for inpatient stays at nonfederal hospitals in Washington State (the Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System, or CHARS) (Parrish et al, 1993;DOH, 2006b). From this data source, we collected birth and delivery characteristics, demographics, and all ICD-9 diagnoses and procedure codes for the birth hospitalization for both the mother and infant.…”

13. How useful are hospital morbidity data for monitoring conditions occurring in the perinatal period?

“…The fi ndings of overseas studies are similar in terms of variable levels of sensitivity and high levels of specifi city and in both the perinatal area, 11,12 and for morbidities generally. 13 A population based Canadian study found that the prevalence of a range of pregnancy conditions reported from hospital admission records was within a reasonable range of those reported in the literature.…”

Sistema de informações hospitalares do sistema único de saúde (SIH-SUS): uma avaliação preliminar do seu desempenho no monitoramento da doença hemolítica perinatal Rh(D)

“…Com relação ao emprego do SIH-SUS em ações de vigilância e monitoramento de doenças em nível populacional, deve-se propor que a base seja previamente escrutinada a cada agravo a ser avaliado, e sua adequação vista sempre de forma conjuntural e mutável no tempo 1,11,27,28 …”