Linkage between routinely collected hospital birth and other records offers the potential for epidemiological and public health research by developing population-level birth cohorts with lifelong follow-up. In a paper published in the Journal of Public Health, Jo Murray and colleagues from Imperial College London examined the range and completeness of birth information recorded in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and tested an approach for minimizing the effect of hospital-level variations by selecting hospitals with high completeness of recording (≥90%) for key fields. The authors reported that the proportion of missing data in key birth record fields such as gestational age and birth weight has been decreasing annually (from 46.2 and 43.9% in 2005/06 to 18.1 and 16.9% in 2009/10, respectively). There was however a wide variation in the completeness of recording between hospitals. The authors concluded that the completeness of recording of hospital birth information varies greatly between hospitals in England but is improving; and that it may be preferable to construct cohorts from only hospitals with high completeness of recording.
Dear Dr, I am writing to refer a 28-year-old male patient of mine, Mr [Patient's Name], for assessment for the diagnosis and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). After a thorough clinical assessment, I believe that Mr. [Patient's Name] meets the criteria for adult ADHD as outlined in NHS guidance for primary care teams in SE London. Mr [Patient's Name] has been under my care for XX years and, during this time, he reports several symptoms (greater than five symptoms in total) consistent with ADHD in adults that have been present for more than six months. These symptoms include difficulties in focusing, following through on tasks, hyperactivity, forgetfulness, impulsiveness, restlessness, and irritability. Mr [Patient's Name] also reports being easily distracted, struggling with time management, organisation, and completing tasks efficiently. Many of Mr [Patient's Name]'s symptoms have been present since he was under 12 years old; and have
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