Data quality analysis and provider feedback

The secondary care team informs providers with missing of data each month as well as those with increases or decreases in the amount of data submitted compared with the amount of data submitted in previous months and in the same period in the previous year. Providers are informed of any coverage issues identified and are requested to review their SUS submissions and update their data as appropriate. Details of any data omissions are published within the monthly data quality note.

The secondary care team also analyses the population and coverage of all the fields submitted to HES. The aim is to highlight any issues in the population of fields at a national level, rather than to validate or quality assure the data items that have been submitted within the fields. Time series analyses are used to check for unexpected changes in field completion and to monitor changes over time.

The team undertakes ad-hoc data quality checks and investigations based on information supplied by providers or from feedback from HES data users. Any data quality issues found are published in the data quality notes each month. The team will then work with the providers in question to make them aware of any issues and help resolve any problems they are experiencing.

Common causes of data quality issues in HES include

• problems with XML translation process in CDS submission to SUS
• poor recording in either patient notes or coding onto provider system
• failing to meet submission deadlines leading to gaps in coverage
• the NHS is not “one size fits all”, numerous local systems and configurations which can vary greatly in quality and ability to upgrade
• where these issues are known within an HES extract, they are recorded in the HES Data Quality Note

An important part of the cleaning process is feedback. The Secondary Care team liaise with providers on a range of subjects, including:

• incorrectly submitted provider organisation codes
• missing data / gaps in coverage
• duplicate data
• specific queries when issues are found

Also

• encourage providers to clean (correct) their data and resubmit to SUS before the next extract is taken, where possible
• offer advice where issues occur in the submission process