A new method for estimating race/ethnicity and associated disparities where administrative records lack self-reported race/ethnicity.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To efficiently estimate race/ethnicity using administrative records to facilitate health care organizations' efforts to address disparities when self-reported race/ethnicity data are unavailable.

Data source

Surname, geocoded residential address, and self-reported race/ethnicity from 1,973,362 enrollees of a national health plan.

Study design

We compare the accuracy of a Bayesian approach to combining surname and geocoded information to estimate race/ethnicity to two other indirect methods: a non-Bayesian method that combines surname and geocoded information and geocoded information alone. We assess accuracy with respect to estimating (1) individual race/ethnicity and (2) overall racial/ethnic prevalence in a population.

Principal findings

The Bayesia

SUBMITTER: Elliott MN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2653886 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature