New Jersey's electronic birth certificate program: variations in data sources.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to determine primary sources of data for electronic birth certificates.


METHODS
A survey was administered from 1997 through 1998 to maternity facilities in New Jersey requesting information about what primary information sources were used for 53 electronic birth certificate variables. Potential information sources included the facilities' maternal and infant medical records, the prenatal record, and a parent-completed birth certificate worksheet.


RESULTS
Among the 66 maternity facilities responding, there was significant variation in the choice of primary data sources for the electronic birth certificate variables examined.


CONCLUSIONS
The variability of primary sources for electronic birth certificate data acquisition represents a potential cause of systematic error in reported vital statistics information.
Smulian
J C
JC
Center for Perinatal Health Initiatives, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/Saint Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0591, USA. smuliajc@umdnj.edu
Ananth
C V
CV
Hanley
M L
ML
Knuppel
R A
RA
Donlen
J
J
Kruse
L
L
D001719:Birth Certificates; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D003628:Database Management Systems; D005568:Forms and Records Control / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D009515:New Jersey; D014798:Vital Statistics