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Case finding for epidemiological surveys of multiple sclerosis in United States communities

Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Research and Policy, HRP Building 2, Room 29, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305–5092, USA

DW Anderson

Biometry and Field Studies Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Federal Building, 7550 Wisconsin Avenue MSC 9135, Bethesda, MD 20892–9135, USA

In regard to prevalence surveys of MS in US communities, this article considers the relative merits of case finding through hospitals, physicians, M service organisations, neurology practices, death certificates, chronic care facilities and media announcements and lay referrals. The current value ***c hospitals and non-neurological practitioners for case finding is questionable, given the changes in clinical practice with respect to MS and the da*** collection problems inherent with surveys of physicians. We suggest giving priority to the following case-finding methods: manually reviewing potien*** records of neurology practices, screening patient rolls of local MS service organisations and surveying chronic care facilities. In some US*** communities, these methods may need to be augmented by also surveying internists, general practitioners and family practitioners. ***Capture-recapture methodology offers a way to evaluate the completeness of case ascertainment.

Key Words: data collection • epidemiological methods • prevalence

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 1, No. 1, 48-55 (1995)
DOI: 10.1177/135245859500100108


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