Applying probabilistic temporal and multisite data quality control methods to a public health mortality registry in Spain: a systematic approach to quality control of repositories.
To assess the variability in data distributions among data sources and over time through a case study of a large multisite repository as a systematic approach to data quality (DQ).



Novel probabilistic DQ control methods based on information theory and geometry are applied to the Public Health Mortality Registry of the Region of Valencia, Spain, with 512 143 entries from 2000 to 2012, disaggregated into 24 health departments. The methods provide DQ metrics and exploratory visualizations for (1) assessing the variability among multiple sources and (2) monitoring and exploring changes with time. The methods are suited to big data and multitype, multivariate, and multimodal data.



The repository was partitioned into 2 probabilistically separated temporal subgroups following a change in the Spanish National Death Certificate in 2009. Punctual temporal anomalies were noticed due to a punctual increment in the missing data, along with outlying and clustered health departments due to differences in populations or in practices.



Changes in protocols, differences in populations, biased practices, or other systematic DQ problems affected data variability. Even if semantic and integration aspects are addressed in data sharing infrastructures, probabilistic variability may still be present. Solutions include fixing or excluding data and analyzing different sites or time periods separately. A systematic approach to assessing temporal and multisite variability is proposed.



Multisite and temporal variability in data distributions affects DQ, hindering data reuse, and an assessment of such variability should be a part of systematic DQ procedures.
Instituto Universitario de Aplicaciones de las Tecnologías de la Información y de las Comunicaciones Avanzadas. Universitat Politècnica de València. Camino de Vera s/n. 46022 Valencia, España. carsaesi@ibime.upv.es.|Centre for Health Technologies and Services Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Carlos
C
Sáez
Dirección General de Salud Pública, Conselleria de Sanidad, Valencia, Spain.|FISABIO - Salud Pública, Consellería de Sanidad, Valencia, Spain.|CIBERESP, Madrid, Spain.
Oscar
O
Zurriaga
Dirección General de Salud Pública, Conselleria de Sanidad, Valencia, Spain.
Jordi
J
Pérez-Panadés
Dirección General de Salud Pública, Conselleria de Sanidad, Valencia, Spain.
Inma
I
Melchor
Instituto Universitario de Aplicaciones de las Tecnologías de la Información y de las Comunicaciones Avanzadas. Universitat Politècnica de València. Camino de Vera s/n. 46022 Valencia, España.
Montserrat
M
Robles
Instituto Universitario de Aplicaciones de las Tecnologías de la Información y de las Comunicaciones Avanzadas. Universitat Politècnica de València. Camino de Vera s/n. 46022 Valencia, España.|Unidad Mixta de Investigación en TICs aplicadas a la Reingeniería de Procesos Sociosanitarios (eRPSS), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
Juan M
JM
García-Gómez
D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D011634:Public Health; D011786:Quality Control; D012042:Registries / Q000592:standards*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
data mining; data monitoring; data quality; data reuse; multisite repositories; statistical data analysis