| Abstract | Linking material and newborn medical records is a valuable
tool for assessing the relationship between maternal variables and fetal
outcome. This study evaluated the Center for Disease Control's newly
developed maternal and newborn medical record linkage
system, a computer program that uses weighted variables to
determine the most likely maternal and newborn pairs. Any
newborn record not achieving a set minimum score with a
maternal record remains nonmatched. The objectives of the study were to
estimate the program's matching accuracy, determine causes of incorrect
matches and nonmatches, develop suggestions for program revisions, and
evaluate the effects of the revisions. The study sample included 521 matched
and 247 nonmatched maternal and newborn medical records from
seven Ohio hospitals. Of all available newborn records
(10,068), 574 (5.7%) did not match with maternal records; for those in which
a match occurred, the authors ascertained a 98% matching accuracy and
determined explanations for nonmatched and incorrectly matched records. The
authors noted a greater prevalence of birth defects and
prematurity among newborns with nonmatched
records than among those with matched records. Program revisions, therefore,
focused on reducing the prevalence of nonmatched records. The revised program
reduced the prevalence of nonmatched records from 5.7% to 3% but reduced
matching accuracy. |