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A computer system for coding occupation.
Eric M Ossiander1, Samuel Milham
1Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington 98504, USA. Eric.ossiander@doh.wa.gov
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
|June 29, 2006
Summary
A new computer program efficiently codes occupation information from vital records, achieving 89% accuracy. This system simplifies data processing for epidemiologic studies, improving the use of occupation data.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Occupation data is crucial for epidemiologic studies.
- Collecting and coding this data from vital records presents significant challenges.
- Standardized occupation coding is essential for accurate public health research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a computer program for coding occupation entries from vital records.
- To assess the efficiency and accuracy of automated occupation coding.
- To simplify the process of occupation data management in public health.
Main Methods:
- A word-matching computer program was developed for occupation coding.
- The program's accuracy was validated against human coder assignments.
- The system was implemented in routine use at the Washington State Department of Health.
Main Results:
- The computer system successfully coded 96-97% of occupation entries on birth and death records.
- The automated system achieved an 89% accuracy rate (95% CI: 87%-91%) in assigning correct occupation codes.
- This demonstrates high efficiency and reliability in processing large volumes of data.
Conclusions:
- The developed occupation-coding program is efficient and accurate.
- It offers a viable solution to simplify the coding of occupation entries from vital records.
- The system's adaptability allows for modifications to accommodate different occupation classification systems.