Clarification on How to Code Race-Ethnicity (Archived)
FCDS has noticed a HUGE uptick in Race = 99 and Ethnicity = 9. We have been able to identify that this is occurring in some facilities and not others. And many of the facilities coding ‘unknown’ are using contractors to abstract cases or to catch up backlogs. But not all of the facilities are using contractors; some are regular abstractors (even CTRs) who seem to have forgotten instructions.
As a reminder, there are instructions for coding Race and Ethnicity in the FCDS DAM – every version, every edition. Please follow them. And please use Appendix C to look up Hispanic Surnames (see below).
FCDS is evaluated on how many ‘unknown’ Race and ‘unknown’ Ethnicity codes are delivered to NAACCR and CDC/ NPCR for each and every Call for Data every single year. It is included as one of the criteria for central cancer registry certification annually. Certification dictates whether Florida data are of sufficient quality AND completeness to be included in National Data for the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer that goes to Congress. A ‘blank’ code for Florida is a big black eye on all of us.
Please keep unknowns and NOS codes to a minimum. If the data really are not included in the medical record, then the code 99 is okay – but you have to look for it – don’t just code 99 and think you’ve done a good job. Every ‘unknown’ or ‘NOS’ code you send to FCDS is a strike against our data completeness.
Please be aware of this for ALL data items you code. And be sure to document whether data are in the record or not in the record, regardless of the code.
Also be sure to use Appendix C to determine if the patient has a Hispanic Surname. If their last name is on the list and you have no indication in the medical record the patient is Hispanic – use code 7. This code represents a patient whose last name is on the US Census Hispanic Surname List – but it does not necessarily indicate the patient is known to be Hispanic. Do not use code 6 in these cases – use 7.
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