Up to 1 in 5 children have the wrong race listed in their EMR

A study of pediatric health systems in Michigan found that as many as one in five children had the wrong race listed in their electronic medical records. Across three health systems, 79% to 88% of patients’ records had the correct racial designation, with higher error rates in systems with more racial and ethnic options. The study surveyed parents and guardians of 4,333 patients, comparing reported race and ethnicity to EMR data. The researchers found discrepancies in racial designations, with up to 10% of patients missing racial data and 1% to 11% missing ethnic data. The study highlights the importance of accurate racial and ethnic data in healthcare research.

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