title: Accuracy of assisted reproductive technology information on the Massachusetts birth certificate, 1997-2000.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the accuracy of assisted reproductive technology (ART) reporting on the Massachusetts birth certificate and to explore the individual and hospital-level characteristics associated with ART reporting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Validity analysis of population-based data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Live-birth deliveries by Massachusetts-resident mothers during 1997-2000.
  
  
  METHODS
  Live births and delivery mothers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ART data maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were linked with the live birth-infant death records in Massachusetts. Successfully linked records were used as the gold standard for ART-related deliveries in evaluating the validity of the ART information reported on the Massachusetts birth certificate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sensitivity and specificity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity of ART reporting on the birth certificate was 27% and the specificity >99%. Sensitivity of ART reporting was higher among women with multiple deliveries (twins: 32%; triplets+: 43%) and preterm deliveries (36%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During the period evaluated, reporting of ART information on the birth certificate was incomplete, and ART births identified through the birth certificate were a biased sample of the population of ART births. Using delivery hospital data as the sole source of ART information for the standard birth certificate may yield inaccurate information.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts 01545, USA. zi.zhang@umassmed.edu
authors.forename: Zi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macaluso
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schieve
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nannini
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001719:Birth Certificates; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008404:Massachusetts; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015983:Selection Bias; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult