Agreement Between Administrative Data and Patients Self-Reports of Race/Ethnicity
Nancy R. Kressin, PhD,
Bei-Hung Chang, ScD,
Ann Hendricks, PhD and
Lewis E. Kazis, ScD
The authors are with the Center for Health Quality, Outcomes and Economic Research (a Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development National Center of Excellence), Bedford VA Medical Center, Bedford, Mass, and the Health Services Department, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Mass.
Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Nancy R. Kressin, PhD, Center for Health Quality, Outcomes and Economic Research, VA Medical Center, 200 Springs Rd, Building 70 (152), Bedford, MA 01730 (e-mail: nkressin{at}bu.edu).
Objectives. We examined agreement of administrative data withself-reported race/ethnicity and identified correlates of agreement.
Methods. We used Veterans Affairs administrative data and VA1999 Large Health survey race/ethnicity data.
Results. Relatively low rates of agreement (approximately 60%)between data sources were largely the result of administrativedata from patients whose race/ethnicity was unknown, with leastagreement for Native American, Asian, and Pacific Islander patients.After exclusion of patients with missing race/ethnicity, agreementimproved except for Native Americans. Agreement did not increasesubstantially after inclusion of data from individuals indicatingmultiple race/ethnicities. Patients for whom there was betteragreement between data sources tended to be less educated, nonsolitaryliving, younger, and White; to have sufficient food; and touse more inpatient Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care.
Conclusions. Better reporting of race/ethnicity data will improveagreement between data sources. Previous studies using VA administrativedata may have underestimated racial disparities.
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