Improving medical risk factor reporting on birth certificates in Alabama.

BACKGROUND

In 1995, a program was begun at the University of South Alabama (USA) to improve the reporting of medical risk factors on birth certificates.

METHODS

Data on medical risk factors for USA Hospital and the remainder of the state for 1994 and 1996 were examined to observe the effects of the USA Medical Center program.

RESULTS

The number of medical risk factors reported changed markedly between 1994 and 1996 for most items and changed hardly at all for the remainder of the state. The changes for selected factors from 1994 to 1996 were as follows: anemia, 19 (0.4% of all birth certificates) to 489 (12.3%); acute or chronic lung disease, 1 (<0.1%) to 405 (10.2%); cardiac disease, 10 (0.2%) to 99 (2.5%); diabetes, 111 (2.6%) to 160 (4.0%); genital herpes, 3 (0.1%) to 81 (2.0%); and hemoglobinopathy, 0 (0%) to 166 (4.2%). Changes in other factors were similar.

CONCLUSIONS

The USA Medical Center program has significantly increased the frequency and percent of birth certificates indicating medical risk factors.