Chen Jennifer, Etkind Paul, Coman George, Tang Yuren, Whelan Michael
Tufts University School of Medicine, Department of Community Health, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
J Community Health. 2003 Aug;28(4):257-65. doi: 10.1023/a:1023986024918.
Data regarding race and ethnicity are usually requested when conducting public health surveillance. However, such data are frequently not included in case reports by providers. This report describes efforts to reduce the extent of missing race and/or ethnicity data in reports of sexually transmitted diseases in Massachusetts. A list of cases reported to the Department of Public Health between March 1 and May 31 1999 lacking race and/or ethnicity data was generated. A student intern tried contacting the providers with a request for complete information. Of the 2,954 cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia infection reported during the study period, 34.8% (1,028 cases) lacked race/ethnicity data. Despite an average of 2.27 calls and 1.5 transfers per call, data was successfully added to only 143 cases, increasing the percent of reported cases with complete data from 65.2% to 70.0%. The telephone calls, while inefficient for collecting this data, had some advantages. For example, they offered opportunities for communication between the STD Division and providers regarding other provider needs or services that the Division might meet. Consideration can also be given to using surnmame lists, ethnic marketing lists, birth records, and matching the case's address with census block data to infer race and/or ethnicity.
在开展公共卫生监测时，通常会要求提供有关种族和族裔的数据。然而，此类数据在医疗机构的病例报告中往往并未包含。本报告描述了为减少马萨诸塞州性传播疾病报告中种族和/或族裔数据缺失程度所做的努力。生成了一份1999年3月1日至5月31日期间向公共卫生部报告的、缺少种族和/或族裔数据的病例清单。一名学生实习生试图联系医疗机构，请求提供完整信息。在研究期间报告的2954例梅毒、淋病和衣原体感染病例中，34.8%（1028例）缺少种族/族裔数据。尽管平均每个电话拨打2.27次，每次转接1.5次，但仅143例病例成功补充了数据，使有完整数据的报告病例百分比从65.2%提高到了70.0%。电话收集这些数据效率不高，但有一些优点。例如，它们为性传播疾病部门与医疗机构就该部门可能满足的其他医疗机构需求或服务进行沟通提供了机会。也可以考虑使用姓氏清单、种族营销清单、出生记录，并将病例地址与人口普查街区数据进行匹配，以推断种族和/或族裔。
