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An analysis of publicly available sources of data on Asian Americans in Massachusetts with recommendations on ways to improve this collection of data. Our report begins with a discussion of the important issues of data collection and reporting and then discusses the particular challenges of collecting and reporting on data in Massachusetts. Profiles of major datasets based on records for administrative entities are presented such as the Massachusetts Cancer Registry, hospital discharges, MassHealth, and Medicare, and mortality and natality records. This is followed by a description of major datasets based on population surveys such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). We discuss how MassCHIP may be used as an extractive tool for researchers. And we conclude with recommendations for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to better address the health disparities of Asian Americans.
