Inpatient data quality re-abstraction project

In order to assess the quality of reported inpatient data in Alberta, the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) and the Alberta Health Record Association (AHRA), in collaboration with the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) completed the Alberta Inpatient Data Quality Re-abstraction Study on behalf of Alberta Health and Wellness (AHW). [...] The goal of the study was to evaluate the accuracy and consistency of inpatient data reported by the selected health regions to AHW and to identify areas for potential data quality enhancement based on the selection criteria defined by AHW. [...] Results of the comparison of original and re-abstracted data were reported by CIHI for the three levels of facilities participating in the review (i.e., urban, regional, and rural) and for each individual site;. [...] It is clear that the active support of each of these stakeholder groups is essential if the quality of inpatient data is to be improved and the data is to be applied effectively to planning, evaluative, and funding activities. [...] The diagnosis type is a one-digit code used to indicate the relationship of the diagnosis to the patient’s stay in hospital.