Characterizing and Coding Psychiatric Diagnoses Using EHR Data

To the Editor We are concerned with the recent article by Barr and colleagues, in which they characterize their study with the All of Us research program as research on “psychiatric disorders.” It is not; it is a study on who receives psychiatric diagnoses. These diagnoses were ascertained through electronic health records, not structured diagnostic assessment. This distinction is important because there are well-established sociological pressures and biases th at discourage assigning some diagnoses, particularly personality, substance use, and eating disorders. There is a real danger in the public, clinicians, trainees, funders, patients, and other stakeholders misunderstanding this report.
Source: JAMA Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research