Administrative databases and the quality of data in a myocardial infarction database

The St. George´s post-infarction survey covers approximately 1,000 patients and is used for research into risk factors. Criteria are required for prompt entering of manually entered data. Using dumb terminal emulation, links to the hospital´s patient administration system are used to improve data quality. New wiring and central computer staff are not required. Data editing by an events committee or during statistical analysis can exaggerate errors. Purchasing recommendations are made for database software and investigations equipment, which assist database management, make audit checks possible, and avoid manual transcription