Use of Administrative Health Care Data for Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance

We evaluated the usefulness of 3 administrative health care databases for sexually transmitted disease (STD) surveillance. Strengths include availability of diagnosis and procedure codes for large numbers of records. All data sources offer standardized data values. However, none of the sources include laboratory test results or inpatient medications, although several contain outpatient prescription claims. Despite limitations, administrative health care data provide new opportunities for STD surveillance among large numbers of health care consumers. These data may be particularly useful for non-reportable STD and STD clinical sequelae, but delayed availability may limit their utility for public health response.