Decision without

quality data is
misleading
Module learning objectives

By the end of this module, participants will

be able to:
Explain different dimensions of data quality
 Introduction to data
quality

1
1 Introduction to Data Quality

Objectives: At the end of this Section,

participants will be able to:

Describe the concepts of data quality and its

importance
Identify symptoms of data quality problems
 Data quality?

Data quality is often defined as “fitness for

use.”
What does this mean?
o Data are fit for their intended uses in operations,
decision making, and planning.
o Data reflect real value or true performance.
o Data meet reasonable standards when checked
against criteria for quality.
Why is data quality important?

For patient/Client For Healthcare For Researchers

Right health care organizations Healthcare research
Quality health care Institute quality findings will be of use
improvement initiatives only when they basis
Timely provided health on good quality data.
based on performance
care
measurement.
safer care (information
Effective and efficient
on allergies, past
planning
medical history,
potential drug Efficiency on budgeting
interactions) Prompt action when
needed
 Symptoms of data quality errors?

Discussion
Symptoms of data quality problem?
Symptoms of data quality problem

 Different people give different answers to same

question
 Data collection and reporting tools are not
standardized; different groups have their own formats
 Staff suspects that the information is unreliable, but
they have no way of proving it
 Parallel data systems to collect the same indicator
 Data management processes are not documented
 Mistakes are spotted by external stakeholders (audits)
 Causes of data quality errors?

Discussion
Why are data quality problems so rampant?

What should we do to solve them?

Data quality determinants

• Lack of guidelines to fill out the data sources and reporting

Tech
nical forms
• Data collection and reporting forms are not standardized
Dete
rmin • Complex design of data collection and reporting tools
ant

Organ • Lack of a reviewing process, before report submission

izatio
nal
• Incentivizes high performance rather than quality
Deter • Weak and inconsistent culture of information use
mina
nts

• Personnel not trained in the use of data sources & reporting

Beha forms
vioral • Misunderstanding of how to compile data & prepare reports
Deter
mina • Errors occur during data consolidation from data sources,
nts affecting report preparation
Possible solutions to problems of data
quality

Incentivizing data quality

Including data quality assurance as everyone’s job

(JD)

Establish accountability system for poor data quality

 Health Data Quality
Dimensions

2
Health Data Quality Dimensions

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Describe the different dimensions of data quality

 Health Data Quality Dimensions
The data quality dimensions that MoH identified are:
Dimension 1: Completeness
Meaningful understanding, interpretation and action:
o All required data should be present on recording,
reporting formats.
o All reporting units have to sent their reports

Three forms of completeness:

o Data Completeness on data recording tools
(Registers, cards/forms) (Content
completeness)
o Data completeness on reporting formats
(Content completeness)
o Report Completeness (Representative)
Data Completeness on data recording &
registration tools (Cards/forms/Registers)

This refers to all necessary data elements on

registers/forms/cards should be filled immediately
after provision of the service by the care provider.
The cover page of integrated individual folder should
contain all the necessary identifying data to uniquely
identify an individual patient or client.
For inpatients or clients received the service, the
registers should contain all necessary information.
For all medical/health records, relevant forms are
complete, with signatures and date of attendance.
Dimension 2: Timeliness
Information should be documented as an event
occurs and delaying documentation could cause
information to be omitted and errors recorded.
Dimension 3: Accuracy & Validity

The data measure what they are intended to measure

Accurate data are:
 Considered correct
 Minimize error (e.g., recording or interviewer
bias, transcription error, sampling error) to a
point of being negligible.

The original data must be accurate in order to be

useful.
 Dimension 4: Reliability (Consistency)

Ability to yield the same results on

repeated collection, processing, storing
and display of information.

Dimension 4.1: Internal consistency of reported data

 Internal consistency of the data relates to the coherence of the data
being evaluated.
Dimension 4.2: External consistency with other data sources
 The level of agreement between two sources of data measuring the
same health indicator is assessed.
Other data quality dimensions
All data whether written, transcribed and/or
Legibility printed should be readable

Accessibility All necessary data are available when needed for

patient care and for all other official purposes

Precision The data have sufficient detail in terms of

disaggregation for decision making

Confidentiality
Clients’ data are kept confidential

Integrity Protected from bias or manipulation

Relevance
The data are logically connected with the matter in
hand