[Organization and quality control of a clinical database on intensive care medicine in central and suburban Paris].
BACKGROUND
Epidemiology and medical care appraisal of intensive care medicine relies on the homogeneity of information systems. This work is about a collaborative database related to intensive care units in Paris and its suburb.


METHODS
A college of intensivists defined a standard dataset about stays, outcomes, severity of illness, diagnoses and work load, which are collected and analysed by a data management center. A quality control of the database was performed on a random sample of 199 stays.


RESULTS
In 1996, 25 intensive care units participated in the database which encompassed more than 35,000 stays. The control of data quality showed a good reliability of data about stays, severity and workload but reproducibility of diagnosis coding has to be improved by means of more accurate coding guidelines.


CONCLUSIONS
This database of case-mix and outcome information allows comparison and medical care appraisal of intensive care units.
Aegerter
P
P
Service de Biostatistique et Informatique Médicale, Hôpital Ambroise Paré, Boulogne.
Auvert
B
B
Buonamico
G
G
Sznajder
M
M
Beauchet
A
A
Guidet
B
B
le Gall
J R
JR
Cub-Réa
D003422:Critical Care; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010297:Paris; D011786:Quality Control; D013383:Suburban Population; D014505:Urban Population