Applying the hospital administrative data quality scoring tool in 15 countries

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Health Services Research
• Data Quality Management

Background:

• Hospital administrative data is crucial for resource allocation, surveillance, and international comparisons.
• Variations in coding practices and guidelines create inconsistencies in hospital administrative data.
• A standardized method is needed to assess and compare hospital administrative data quality across countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a standardized tool, the Hospital Administrative Data Quality (HADQ) scoring tool.
• To enable countries to assess their hospital administrative data quality.
• To facilitate international comparisons of hospital administrative data quality.

Main Methods:

• Developed 24 indicators using a Delphi consensus method.
• Administered an online survey to 50 countries based on these indicators.
• Calculated an overall data quality score (out of 20) for each country, categorized as high, moderate, or low.

Main Results:

• 17 out of 50 invited countries responded; 15 were included in the analysis.
• The HADQ tool demonstrated positive face validity and applicability across most responding countries.
• Canada, USA, New Zealand, UK, and Spain achieved high overall data quality scores.
• Most countries scored well in 3 out of 5 dimensions, with some scoring low in 'Relevance' and 'Timeliness'.

Conclusions:

• The developed HADQ tool provides a standardized approach for assessing and comparing hospital administrative data quality within and across countries.
• The tool supports researchers, government bodies, and policymakers in improving hospital administrative data quality.
• Global application of standardized indicators can enhance the reliability and comparability of hospital administrative data.