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Multi method approach to the assessment of data quality in the Finnish Medical Birth Registry
1Department of Public Health, Helsinki, Finland.
Objective:
To assess comprehensively the validity of the data in the Finnish Medical Birth Registry (MBR) by the combined use of several controls and internal analysis of the data.
Design:
The MBR data were individually linked to a medical record sample (n = 775) and to all perinatal death certificates in 1987. The data were also compared with annual hospital statistics. The distributions of birth weights and gestational ages were examined.
Subjects:
All stillborn and liveborn babies registered in the MBR in 1987 (n = 59,370).
Setting:
The nationwide MBR data were compared with medical records from one third of the Finnish hospitals, with statistics for all hospitals, and with nationwide cause of death registry data.
Measurements And Main Results:
With regard to most variables, the data quality was good or satisfactory (agreement with medical records 95% or more). Allowing for minor deviations in variables with continuous scales improved the agreement rates further. Explanations could be deduced for items with poor agreement values. For most variables, the amount of missing data was less than 1%. With the exception of caesarean sections, medical procedures were registered in only 30 to 72% of the cases, and the proportion varied strongly between the hospitals. Common diagnoses (32 to 86%) and primary causes of death (59 to 78%) were also poorly recorded.
Conclusions:
Combined use of several control materials and internal analyses was successful in investigating the whole data content. The data in the MBR were generally valid but diagnoses and most data on medical procedures were not of sufficiently good quality.
Insights
The Finnish Medical Birth Registry (MBR) data is generally valid, but diagnoses and medical procedures require improvement. This study assessed MBR data quality using multiple controls and internal analysis for better birth data accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Biostatistics
- Medical Informatics
Background:
- The Finnish Medical Birth Registry (MBR) is a crucial source for perinatal health data.
- Assessing the validity of registry data is essential for reliable epidemiological research and public health monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively evaluate the data accuracy and completeness of the Finnish Medical Birth Registry (MBR) for 1987.
- To identify specific areas of data quality that require improvement within the MBR.
Main Methods:
- Individual linkage of MBR data (n = 59,370) to a sample of medical records (n = 775) and all perinatal death certificates.
- Comparison of nationwide MBR data with hospital statistics and cause of death registry data.
- Internal analysis of birth weight and gestational age distributions.
Main Results:
- High agreement (≥95%) between MBR data and medical records for most variables, with less than 1% missing data.
- Lower agreement for diagnoses (32-86%) and medical procedures (30-72%), with significant hospital-level variations.
- Caesarean sections showed better registration rates compared to other procedures.
Conclusions:
- The combined use of multiple control datasets and internal analysis effectively validated the MBR data content.
- While overall MBR data validity is good, the quality of registered diagnoses and medical procedures is insufficient for reliable analysis.