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Incompleteness of reporting of laboratory-confirmed chlamydial
infection by providers affiliated with a managed care organization, 1997-1999.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2004;31(3):139-142.
Tao G, Carr P, Stiffman M, Defor T.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Surveillance for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) depends on
the receipt of positive STD test results from laboratories or reports of
STD diagnoses from clinicians to local or state health departments. GOAL:
The goal of this study was to evaluate incompleteness of reporting of chlamydial
infection in a large staff-model managed care organization (MCO) using laboratory
data and provider-based reports. METHODS: All cases of chlamydial infection
in 2 databases, one from the MCO during January 1997 through June 1999 and
the other from the state STD registry, were compared by using a standard
algorithm alone that included patient's name, sex, and date of specimen collection,
and by using the standard algorithm together with the patient's medical record
number. RESULTS: Of 833 cases of chlamydial infection in the MCO case database,
597 were matched to the cases in the state registry using the standard algorithm
alone and 671 were matched using the standard algorithm together with the
patient's medical record number. In addition, 89 cases of chlamydial infection
in the state registry had been reported from the MCO during the same timeframe
but were not matched to cases in the MCO case database by these algorithms.
The estimated incompleteness of reporting ranged from 9% to 28% depending
on matching algorithms used and the criteria used to define completeness.
CONCLUSION: Based on this comparison of MCO data with the state STD registry
data, the estimated incompleteness of reporting in a MCO depended on matching
algorithms used and the criteria used to define completeness. Incompleteness
of STD case reporting could be reduced if confidential electronic reporting
methods and more complete case characteristic variables were used.
