Improving Data QualityJohn Sharp, Head of Data Quality

Importance

• Those decisions can affect a single individual or the whole of the health and social care system.

• It supports informed decision making.

• Good quality data is, and has always been, a key part of improving services.

Importance

• The Francis report of the Mid Staffs Public Inquiry acknowledges the importance of data quality.

• The second Caldicott review of information governance acknowledges the importance of data quality.

• They both highlight issues with the quality of data recorded and used in health and social care.

• They both describe the impact these issues have on direct and indirect uses of data, including patient care.

• They both recommend how these issues can be resolved.

Francis comments

• Accuracy of records is obviously vital if safe care is to be delivered to patients.

• There is potential for providers’ data from which healthcare statistics are produced to be inaccurate to an extent that undermines the reliability of subsequent analysis.

Francis recommendations

• The only practical way of ensuring reasonable accuracy is vigilant auditing at local level of the data put into the system. This is important work which must be continued and where possible improved.

• Each provider organisation should have a board level member with responsibility for information.

Caldicott comments – direct care

• Poor data quality can directly affect the quality of direct patient care.

• It can be caused by poor practice.

• It can result from poor standards, processes or systems.

Caldicott comments – indirect care

• Data is derived from health and social care records for direct care that are themselves of poor quality.

• The way in which data sets are created, in particular those that rely on human transcription.

• Data transcription errors can be significant with rates of 6.5% or 650 errors per 10,000 data items quoted in research studies.

Caldicott recommendations

• Regulatory, professional and educational bodies should ensure that sound record keeping and the importance of data quality are part of continuous professional development.

• This should be assessed as part of any professional revalidation process.

Duties and responsibilities

It is clear from Francis and Caldicott that:

• Care providers are responsible for ensuring that the quality of the data they collect is fit for its primary use.

• National bodies are responsible for ensuring that care providers requirements are prioritised when designing and developing data sets and data collection systems.

• Regulatory, professional and educational bodies are responsible for putting data quality firmly on their agendas and keeping it there.

The HSCIC’s role

The key responsibility of the HSCIC with regard to data quality,

as set out in the Health and Social Care Act (2012), is to

assess and report on the quality of the data it collects

Assessment and reporting

• Allows users of the data to make evidence-based decisions on the fitness of the data for their specific purposes

Assessing and reporting on the quality of data received against published standards:

• Supports the investigation and resolution of data issues.

• Highlights opportunities for improvements to standards, processes and systems.

Collaboration

The HSCIC will work collaboratively to develop its data quality assurance role with its customers and key stakeholders including:

• Public and patients• NHS England• Royal Colleges• Monitor• Care Quality Commission• Public health England• NICE

Continuous improvement

The HSCIC intends that its data quality assurance role will support continuous improvement in data quality by:

• Developing and implementing processes and systems based on customer requirements.

• Assessing the extent to which current and future collection systems comply with national data standards.

• Identifying best practice and innovation in data quality assurance and sharing it with customers and data providers.

• Collaborating with customers and other key stakeholders in the development of a national data quality assurance framework.

Engagement

The HSCIC will engage with its customers and other key stakeholders through:

• Consultation on its key data quality assurance proposals

• Requesting feedback on its data quality reports and statements

• Direct contact with organisations perceived to be using good or poor data quality practices

Contact

The HSCIC is always keen to hear from anyone with an interest in, or ideas for, improving the quality of health and social care data. If this is you, please contact:

enquiries@hscic.gov.uk

with the subject of your enquiry being: Data Quality Assurance

Any questions?