2008 Niday Perinatal Database quality audit: report of a quality assurance project.

INTRODUCTION This quality assurance project was designed to determine the reliability, completeness and comprehensiveness of the data entered into Niday Perinatal Database. METHODS Quality of the data was measured by comparing data re-abstracted from the patient record to the original data entered into the Niday Perinatal Database. A representative sample of hospitals in Ontario was selected and a random sample of 100 linked mother and newborn charts were audited for each site. A subset of 33 variables (representing 96 data fields) from the Niday dataset was chosen for re-abstraction. RESULTS Of the data fields for which Cohen's kappa statistic or intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated, 44% showed substantial or almost perfect agreement (beyond chance). However, about 17% showed less than 95% agreement and a kappa or ICC value of less than 60% indicating only slight, fair or moderate agreement (beyond chance). DISCUSSION Recommendations to improve the quality of these data fields are presented.