MISSING PIECES: MAJOR HEALTH DATABASE HAS DEEP FLAWS

-Database that monitors U.S. hospitalizations underreports important health risk factors.

–The accuracy of body mass and alcohol and tobacco use data is critical for health care reform policies.

A major source of American health information data contains a handful of glaring flaws related to health risks, say Johns Hopkins researchers in a study published online Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE.

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) critically underreports several important health measures, say Susan Hutfless, M.S., Ph.D., and Elie Al Kazzi, M.D., M.P.H., of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Alcohol and tobacco use, as well as data on patients’ weight and body mass, are dramatically underreported in the NIS. Missing information in the database leads to inaccurate health quality assessments and could have a devastating economic impact on hospitals that see the sickest patients. For the full article click here 

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