Validity of racial/ethnic classifications in medical records data: An exploratory study

Moscou et al discuss an exploratory study on the validity of racial and ethnic classifications in medical record data. The commonly used racial and ethnic categories are at best approximations of broad and overlapping groups defined by society according to shifting criteria. Given the central role of race and ethnic in health disparities, it is important to ensure that the data used to study these disparities represent as accurately as possible the populations in question.