title: A systematic review of administrative and clinical databases of infants admitted to neonatal units.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High quality information, increasingly captured in clinical databases, is a useful resource for evaluating and improving newborn care. We conducted a systematic review to identify neonatal databases, and define their characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We followed a preregistered protocol using MesH terms to search MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science and OVID Maternity and Infant Care Databases for articles identifying patient level databases covering more than one neonatal unit. Full-text articles were reviewed and information extracted on geographical coverage, criteria for inclusion, data source, and maternal and infant characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 82 databases from 2037 publications. Of the country-specific databases there were 39 regional and 39 national. Sixty databases restricted entries to neonatal unit admissions by birth characteristic or insurance cover; 22 had no restrictions. Data were captured specifically for 53 databases; 21 administrative sources; 8 clinical sources. Two clinical databases hold the largest range of data on patient characteristics, USA's Pediatrix BabySteps Clinical Data Warehouse and UK's National Neonatal Research Database.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A number of neonatal databases exist that have potential to contribute to evaluating neonatal care. The majority is created by entering data specifically for the database, duplicating information likely already captured in other administrative and clinical patient records. This repetitive data entry represents an unnecessary burden in an environment where electronic patient records are increasingly used. Standardisation of data items is necessary to facilitate linkage within and between countries.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Data Analysis Unit, Section of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital campus, London, UK.
authors.forename: Yevgeniy
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Statnikov
authors.affiliation: Section of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital campus, London, UK.
authors.forename: Buthaina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Section of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital campus, London, UK.
authors.forename: Neena
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Modi
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009035:Mothers; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: database; electronic health records; infant; international; neonatal unit