title: The brain monitoring with Information Technology (BrainIT) collaborative network: data validation results.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The BrainIT group works collaboratively on developing standards for collection and analyses of data from brain injured patients towards providing a more efficient infrastructure for assessing new health technology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a 2 year period, core dataset data (grouped by nine categories) were collected from 200 head-injured patients by local nursing staff. Data were uploaded by the BrainIT web and random samples of received data were selected automatically by computer for validation by data validation (DV) research nurse staff against gold standard sources held in the local centre. Validated data was compared with original data sent and percentage error rates calculated by data category.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparisons, 19,461, were made in proportion to the size of the data received with the largest number checked in laboratory data (5,667) and the least in the surgery data (567). Error rates were generally less than or equal to 6%, the exception being the surgery data class where an unacceptably high error rate of 34% was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BrainIT core dataset (with the exception of the surgery classification) is feasible and accurate to collect. The surgery classification needs to be revised.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Physics, Southern General Hospital, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Piper
authors.forename: Iain
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Citerio
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Enblad
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gregson
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Howells
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kiening
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mattern
authors.forename: Pelle
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Arminas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ragauskas
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sahuquillo
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yau
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000473:pathology*; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic