Coordination of data between collectors

This page provides guidelines how much communication should happen when patients re transferred from one ward/unit where we collect to another.

Things that should be communicated

Information related to:

• CAP-Community Acquired Pneumonia vs VAP - Ventilator Associated Pneumonia vs HAP-Hospital Acquired Pneumonia
• Central Line Related Blood stream Infection (CLR-BSI)
• QA Septic Shock
• cultured Pathogens that are returned after a patient moves on to another unit

Things that should not be communicated outside of unusual circumstances

Don't coordinate times, regular collection instructions for those are good enough.

When you do communicate

Use the "generate email" button to inform the collector at the next/previous location.

Reasons why remaining collection should be done independently

Data collection should be done independently for diagnosis and comorbids For patients who moved from one unit or ward to another unit and ward, it is essential that collection of diagnosis and comorbids must be done independently by the data collector of each unit for the following reasons:

1. Comprehensiveness/Completeness of data - We would like to collect information as much as possible about the patient’s status/condition. If more than one person collects data on the same patient independently, the items missed/overlooked by one person may have been recorded by another.
2. A measure of precision or repeatability – In a scientific methodology, a measurement process is considered valid if it is accurate and precise. A measure of precision is related to the degree by which repeated measurements under unchanged conditions will show the same results. We are interested to know the degree of ‘same ‘or ‘different’ results our measurement process has. In the past, we did a peer audit but did not have the chance to continue since then for various reasons. We have the opportunity to do this currently in selective data (e.g. diagnosis and comorbids) and particularly for the group of patients who stayed in more than ward/unit during a hospital stay. It must be emphasized that this measure cannot be determined if data are just being transferred from one person to another.
3. Review and standardization of the process – there is also an opportunity to investigate the causes of discrepancies, if any, and improve the collection guidelines and process.

See also

• Sharing Of information Survey Feb 8.13