@article{ref1,
title="Do hospital E-codes consistently capture suicidal behaviour?",
journal="Chronic diseases in canada",
year="2002",
author="Rhodes, Anne E. and Links, P. S. and Streiner, D. L. and Dawe, I. and Cass, Daniel and Janes, Samantha",
volume="23",
number="4",
pages="139-145",
abstract="Hospital separation data are used to study suicidal behaviour; however, there is little information about the appropriateness of these data for research and planning activities. The study purpose is to examine how consistently hospital separation E-code data reflect suicidal behaviours. Expert clinicians reviewed medical records of individuals who had a separation for self-poisoning to determine whether the self-poisoning was deliberate. Agreement among clinicians was evaluated and latent class analysis performed to derive a summary estimate of the prevalence of deliberate self-poisoning. This estimate was then compared to the prevalence of deliberate self-poisoning based on the external cause of injury (E-codes). Clinicians estimated the prevalence to be 63% higher than the E-code based prevalence. Much larger discrepancies were apparent among older age groups, those whose care was primarily medical in nature and those with a longer length of hospital stay. In acute care settings, self-poisonings among the elderly may not receive adequate attention and/or documentation. Estimating the prevalence of admissions for suicidal behaviour using hospital separation data is of questionable validity, particularly among older age groups.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0228-8699",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}