Registering ischaemic heart disease: are we meeting the targets for South Asians?
BACKGROUND
Registration on a primary care disease register is a necessary first step for the provision of systematic care for ischaemic heart disease (IHD). We examined whether there is any potential bias in IHD registration based upon the ethnic origin of the patient.


METHODS
'Observed' rates of ischaemic heart disease registration from 12 general practices in Bristol were contrasted with national 'expected' rates derived from the Health Survey for England, 1999, with the aim of comparing rates of registration between patients whose countries of origin were South Asian and non-South Asian. Ethnicity was classified by the patients' surname. Data were stratified by age, sex and ethnicity.


RESULTS
Overall, no major differences in 'observed' and 'expected' rates of registration between South Asian and non-South Asians were observed. In general, however, 'observed' rates were lower than the 'expected' rates for both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
We found no overall bias in IHD registration based upon the patient's ethnic origin but we did observe generally low rates of IHD registration overall.
Naqvi
Habib
H
Bristol South and West Primary Care Trust, King Square House, King Square, Bristol BS2 8EE. habib.naqvi@bristolswpct.nhs.uk
Ben-Shlomo
Yoav
Y
Baker
Ian
I
Field
Natalie
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015982:Bias; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012042:Registries; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology