Introduction

1. An integrated team approach to improve dental data quality Morgan MZ1 Monaghan NP2 • Introduction • An integrated team approach has been implemented to improve the quality of childhood oral epidemiological data in Wales. This poster provides an update of a previous presentation3. • Method • The team consists of the all Wales dental epidemiology co-ordinator (NM), the Welsh Oral Health Information Unit (MM) and five local epidemiology co-ordinators. The team has worked to close the audit loop relating to data quality. Collaborative work associated with data collection and analysis have informed changes to: • the survey protocol, • the training and calibration exercise, • data collection format and process, • data verification, • and data cleaning processes. • Emphasis has been placed upon improving the quality of the data at the time of collection. • Annual training includes feedback to data recorders, it emphasises the importance of thoroughness and accuracy with regards to data collection. Feedback consists of identifying poor practice and how each district compares in terms of data quality. Results As an example of data quality, postcode recognition rates using the in house postcode look-up file were in excess of 95% for all data collection areas (i.e. health authorities pre April 2003) for the survey of 14 year olds in 2002/03. Ranging from a 1.4% improvement in area 4 to 21.9% in area 3 when compared with a previous survey undertaken in 1998/99 (Figure 1). Combined efforts of staff collecting data, local organisers and the Welsh Oral Health Information Unit produce high postcode recognition (Figure 2). Figure 2: Changes in postcode recognition after centralised data cleaning, survey of 14 year old children 2002/2003 Data checks have revealed several types of common errors associated with postcode. These are presented in Table 1. These will be shared with data collection staff and local organisers in future training exercises to alert them to potential errors and to develop methods to manage them. Figure 1: Changes in postcode recognition rates, for three oral epidemiological surveys Table 1: Common Postcode Errors Conclusions This poster highlights data quality associated with postcode which is just one of the data items in the dental survey programme whose quality is managed. The authors believe that these postcodes are among the cleanest variables in NHS data in the United Kingdom. The quality of the data has been delivered through an integrated team approach regarding quality assurance. Acknowledgements The support of the National Assembly for Wales is acknowledged gratefully in the funding of the Welsh Oral Health Information Unit and of the Dental Epidemiology and Training Exercises. Data of this quality could not be delivered without the efforts of the data collection staff and of local organisers. 1 Welsh Oral Health Information Unit, Dental School, University of Wales College of Medicine 2 National Public Health Service Wales 3 Monaghan, N. P., Morgan, M.Z. Improving the Quality of Dental Data. Poster Presentation. Faculty of Public Health Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, 25-28 June 2002