Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Comparing Record Linkage Software Programs And Algorithms Using Real-World Data., Alan F. Karr, Matthew T. Taylor, Suzanne L. West, Soko Setoguchi, Tzuyung D. Kou, Tobias Gerhard, Daniel B. Horton

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Linkage of medical databases, including insurer claims and electronic health records (EHRs), is increasingly common. However, few studies have investigated the behavior and output of linkage software. To determine how linkage quality is affected by different algorithms, blocking variables, methods for string matching and weight determination, and decision rules, we compared the performance of 4 nonproprietary linkage software packages linking patient identifiers from noninteroperable inpatient and outpatient EHRs. We linked datasets using first and last name, gender, and date of birth (DOB). We evaluated DOB and year of birth (YOB) as blocking variables and used exact and inexact matching methods. …

Complementary And Alternative Medicine Use In Women During Pregnancy: Do Their Healthcare Providers Know?, Lisa Strouss, Amy Mackley, Ursula Guillen, David A Paul, Robert Locke

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

BACKGROUND: The National Institutes of Health reported in 2007 that approximately 38% of United States adults have used at least one type of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). There are no studies available that assess general CAM use in US pregnant women.The objectives of our study were to determine the prevalence and type of CAM use during pregnancy at one medical center; understand who is using CAM and why they are using it; and assess the state of patients' CAM use disclosure to their obstetrical providers.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study of post-partum women was done to assess self-reported CAM …