Dakis P, Rubin L
Clinical Information System Division, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Oakland, CA, USA.
Methods Inf Med. 1998 Jun;37(2):188-91.
Methods of collecting race/ethnicity data affect the validity of conclusions based on them as do other factors such as lack of consensus and inadequate definitions for terminology; and misclassification or miscounting of patients. Current data collection instruments do not identify mixed heritage. We propose improving data measurement and collection by including a quantified multiracial/multiethnic heritage category for persons of mixed heritage; a don't know category; and a refuse to reveal category. The resulting problems affect all uses of racial and ethnic data, including health care provision, research, and health planning. More precise race/ethnicity categories should be encouraged by such means as a 16-category checklist (with instructions to check all which apply) currently in development. The Methods section of all clinical, epidemiologic, and pharmacologic reports should include descriptions of racial measurement and reasons for including or excluding clearly defined populations.
种族/民族数据的收集方法会影响基于这些数据得出的结论的有效性，其他因素如缺乏共识、术语定义不充分以及患者的错误分类或计数也是如此。目前的数据收集工具无法识别混合血统。我们建议通过为具有混合血统的人纳入一个量化的多种族/多民族血统类别、一个“不知道”类别和一个拒绝透露类别来改进数据测量和收集。由此产生的问题影响种族和民族数据的所有用途，包括医疗保健提供、研究和健康规划。应通过诸如目前正在制定的16类清单（并附有勾选所有适用项的说明）等方式鼓励使用更精确的种族/民族类别。所有临床、流行病学和药理学报告的方法部分应包括种族测量的描述以及纳入或排除明确界定人群的理由。
