Overcoming denominator problems in refugee settings with fragmented electronic records for health and immigration data: a prediction-based approach.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Epidemiological studies in refugee settings are often challenged by the denominator problem, i.e. lack of population at risk data. We develop an empirical approach to address this problem by assessing relationships between occupancy data in refugee centres, number of refugee patients in walk-in clinics, and diseases of the digestive system.

Methods

Individual-level patient data from a primary care surveillance system (PriCarenet) was matched with occupancy data retrieved from immigration authorities. The three relationships were analysed using regression models, considering age, sex, and type of centre. Then predictions for the respective data category not available in each of the relationships were made. Twenty-one German on-site health care facilities in state-l

SUBMITTER: Erdmann S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10983725 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature