Assessing EHR Data for Use in Clinical Improvement and Research

This article introduces nurses to the secondary analysis of EHR data, first outlining the steps in data acquisition and then describing a theory-based process for evaluating data quality and cleaning the data. This process involves methodically examining the data using six data quality dimensions—completeness, correctness, concordance, plausibility, currency, and relevance—and helps the clinician or researcher to determine whether data for each variable are fit for use. Two case studies offer examples of problems that can arise and their solutions.
Source: AJN - Category: Nursing Tags: Feature Articles Source Type: research