The National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) Data Quality Brief: the NCDR Data Quality Program in 2012

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular research
• Clinical data management
• Health informatics

Background:

• The National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR), established in 1997, underpins performance metrics, quality improvement initiatives, and health outcomes research.
• The NCDR's data serves as a foundation for advancing cardiovascular care and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the NCDR's Data Quality Program designed to ensure data completeness, consistency, and accuracy.
• To present findings from the 2010 data quality audits.

Main Methods:

• The Data Quality Program includes data quality reports, internal quality assurance protocols, and annual data audits.
• Data undergo pre-registry filtering for completeness and consistency; internal protocols enforce standards.
• Annual audits examine 300-625 records across 25 randomly selected sites per registry.

Main Results:

• In 2010, average raw data abstraction accuracy was 93.1% for CathPCI Registry, 91.2% for ICD Registry, and 89.7% for ACTION Registry-GWTG.
• Accuracy rates demonstrated that NCDR data generally reflects medical chart information reliably.

Conclusions:

• 2010 audits indicate that NCDR data fields accurately represent information from medical charts.
• The American College of Cardiology Foundation is developing a rapid learning system to continuously monitor and enhance data quality.