@article{ref1,
title="Coding external causes of injury (E-codes) in Maryland hospital discharges 1979-88: a statewide study to explore the uncoded population",
journal="American journal of public health",
year="1990",
author="Marganitt, B. and MacKenzie, Ellen J. and Smith, Gordon C. S. and Damiano, A. M.",
volume="80",
number="12",
pages="1463-1466",
abstract="We examined the trends in hospital discharge E-coding in Maryland over a 10-year period. The overall proportion of E-coded discharges has increased from 40 percent in 1979 to 55 percent in 1988. E-coding was lower in the severely injured, the elderly, and patients with long hospital stays. Our findings demonstrate that E-code reporting varies because of the limited number of data fields available for coding of discharge diagnoses. Universal, systematic reporting of E-codes in hospital discharge data is essential if these data are to provide critically needed information about nonfatal injuries. Hospital discharge data formats should contain separate fields for E-codes and the use of these codes, we believe, should be mandated.",
language="",
issn="0090-0036",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}