Abstract
Background In the operating theatre, a large collection of data is collected at each visit. Some of this data is patient information, some is related to resource management, which is linked to hospital finances. Poor quality data leads to poor decisions, impacting patient safety and the continuity of care.
Objectives The study aimed to evaluate the completeness of data documented within surgical operations, and based on the results, the goal is to improve data quality and identify data management improvement ideas.
Methods The study was a quantitative evaluation of 33,684 surgical visits, focusing on data omissions. The organization identified 58 operating room data variables related to visits, procedures, resources, and personnel. Data completeness was evaluated for 36 variables, excluding 47 visits with missing ‘Complete’ flags. Data preprocessing was done using Python and Pandas, with pseudonymization of personnel names. Data analyzing was done using the R programming language. Data omissions were coded as ‘1’ for missing values and ‘0’ for others. Summary variables were created to indicate the number of personnel and procedure, and data omissions per visit.
Results The average completeness of the operating room data was 98%, which is considered excellent. However, seven variables - the start and end date and time of anesthesia, type of treatment, personnel group and assistant information - had completeness below the 95% target level. 34% of the surgical visits contained at least one data omission. In the yearly comparison the completeness values of variables were statistically significantly higher in 2022 compared to 2023.
Conclusion By ensuring existing quality assurance practices, verifying internal data maintenance and verifying and standardizing documenting practices the organization can achieve net benefits through improved data completeness, enhancing patient records, financial information and management. Improved data quality will also benefit national and international registries.
Keywords: data, patient data, quality, health information system, operating room
