Using primary care electronic health record data for comparative effectiveness research: experience of data quality assessment and preprocessing in The Netherlands. (July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Huang, Yunyu; Voorham, Jaco; Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M
• Is Part Of: Journal of comparative effectiveness research. Volume 5:Number 4(2016)
• Page Start: 345
• Page End: 354
• Publication Date: 2016-07
• Subjects: comparative effectiveness research -- conceptual framework -- data quality -- electronic health record data -- fit-for-use; Medical care -- Research -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Research -- Evaluation -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Decision making -- Periodicals; Evidence-based medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine, Comparative -- Periodicals; 362.1072
• DOI: 10.2217/cer-2015-0022
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2042-6305

Abstract

Aim: Details of data quality and how quality issues were solved have not been reported in published comparative effectiveness studies using electronic health record data.Methods: We developed a conceptual framework of data quality assessment and preprocessing and apply it to a study comparing angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors with angiotensin receptor blockerss on renal function decline in diabetes patients.Results: The framework establishes a line of thought to identify and act on data issues. The core concept is to evaluate whether data are fit-for-use for research tasks. Possible quality problems are listed through specific signal detections, and verified whether they are true problems. Optimal solutions are selected for the identified problems.Conclusion: This framework can be used in observational studies to improve validity of results.