RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Underreporting of AIDS cases in Canada: a record linkage study
JF Canadian Medical Association Journal
JO CMAJ
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 36
OP 39
VO 142
IS 1
A1 L. M. Calzavara
A1 R. A. Coates
A1 K. J. Craib
A1 M. T. Schechter
A1 T. N. Le
A1 P. L. Nault
A1 K. Elmslie
YR 1990
UL http://www.cmaj.ca/content/142/1/36.abstract
AB To estimate the rate of underreporting of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) to the Federal Centre for AIDS (FCA), in 1988 the initials, date of birth and place of residence of 66 patients with AIDS known to the Toronto Sexual Contact Study (TSCS), 65 patients with AIDS known to the Vancouver Lymphadenopathy-AIDS Study (VLAS) and other participants in both studies who did not have AIDS were sent to the Bureau of Epidemiology and Surveillance, FCA. The FCA conducted a manual record linkage to link these data to the national registry of reported cases. The rate of underreporting was 12% (8/65) for the VLAS and 18% (12/66) for the TSCS. The specific diagnosis was not related to the rate of underreporting. For the TSCS the rate of underreporting had increased from 0% in 1983-84 to 44% in 1987-88 (p = 0.001). Differences in the observed rates of underreporting between the two studies are likely the result of differences in the reporting responsibilities of physicians involved in the studies.