A Model and Application for Estimating Completeness of Registration

A. Berghold; W.-J. Stronegger; K.-D. Wernecke

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1634473

Methods of Information in Medicine, Table of Contents

Methods Inf Med 2001; 40(02): 122-126
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1634473

Original Article

Schattauer GmbH

A Model and Application for Estimating Completeness of Registration

A. Berghold

¹Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation, University of Graz, Austria

,

W.-J. Stronegger

²Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Graz, Austria

,

K.-D. Wernecke

³Institute of Medical Biometry, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Completeness of population-based registration systems is recognized to be an important aspect of the quality of information in registries which has to be examined. In this paper a model is presented which was used to estimate completeness of reporting of Down syndrome data notified to the Styrian Malformation registry between 1985-92. The model introduced is based on the two-source capture-recapture method allowing for time-varying parameters. For estimation of the parameters a discrete-time filtering algorithm was developed. For the used data set, an estimate of completeness derived from this model was in good agreement with an independent estimator based on demographic data and maternal age-specific Down syndrome risks whereas the usual two-source capture-recapture method gave a higher estimate.

Keywords

Capture-Recapture Methods - Dynamic Model - Registration - Down Syndrome

Full Text

References

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