title: Identification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women using an urban obstetric hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the accuracy of routine identification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women confining at King George V (KGV) Hospital, located in Sydney, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviewer-administered survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive sample of women who delivered live, well infants from May to July 1999.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparison of hospital documentation compared with confidential self-disclosure of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status to a female Aboriginal health professional.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 536 women in our sample, 29 (5%) self-disclosed as being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Only 10 of these were identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in hospital records (p<0.001). While specificity as determined by us was 100%, sensitivity was low (34.5%). Those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women referred by another organisation were significantly more likely than those who self-referred to the hospital to be correctly identified (p=0.011). Only 1% of non-Aboriginal women indicated they would have objected to an explicit question by staff about their Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Routine identification significantly under-represents Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander women giving birth at an urban obstetric hospital. We recommend the development and use of a sensitive but also specific series of questions to ensure women always are given the opportunity to disclose their status, especially as few women appear to mind such questions.
authors.affiliation: Indigenous Health, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW.
authors.forename: Lisa R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Jackson Pulver
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bush
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D004282:Documentation / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010355:Patient Identification Systems; D011247:Pregnancy; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012650:Self Disclosure; D019037:Urban Health Services; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples