The Swedish Heart Surgery Register: data quality for proximal thoracic aortic operations.
OBJECTIVE
To review the data quality and validity in the nationwide Swedish Heart Surgery register for patients operated on the proximal thoracic aorta.


METHODS
Medical records from a random sample of 300 patients in The Swedish Heart Surgery register were reviewed with register data items systematically re-reported. Variable reporting frequency, proportion of adequately reported data, and number and correctness of diagnostic and procedural codes were analysed.


RESULTS
After exclusions, 251 patients (84%) remained in the analysis. Reporting frequency for individual items varied from 12% to 100% (median 61%). For core variables, reporting frequency was 96%-100%. In 40 of 43 (93%) reviewed variables, registry data were at least 85% correct. A total of 485 diagnoses and 673 procedures were reported, compared to 617 diagnoses and 758 procedures identified in the review process.


CONCLUSIONS
The register data quality and validity for patients operated on the proximal thoracic aorta was satisfactory overall, but need further improvement for complications. The register coverage and completeness was very high. Register-based reports should be accompanied by review of data quality.
Olsson
Christian
C
Department of Surgical Sciences, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. christian.olsson@surgsci.uu.se
Eriksson
Niclas
N
Ståhle
Elisabeth
E
Thelin
Stefan
S
D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D019985:Benchmarking; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011786:Quality Control; D012042:Registries / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D013548:Sweden; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*