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Am J Perinatol 2017; 34(12): 1241-1249
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1603325
Original Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Internal Audit of the Canadian Neonatal Network Data Collection System

Prakesh S. Shah
1   Department of Paediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2   Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Wendy Seidlitz
3   McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
,
Priscilla Chan
1   Department of Paediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Sonny Yeh
1   Department of Paediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Natasha Musrap
1   Department of Paediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Shoo K. Lee
1   Department of Paediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2   Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
on behalf of data abstractors of the Canadian Neonatal Network› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

09 January 2017

03 April 2017

Publication Date:
12 May 2017 (online)

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Abstract

Background Neonatal databases worldwide have become a prominent tool for benchmarking, evaluation of outcomes, and quality improvement initiatives. We aimed to assess the precision of the Canadian Neonatal Network (CNN) database by conducting an internal audit of data extraction.

Methods An audit was conducted in all 31 neonatal units participating in the CNN. Ninety-five data items selected for reabstraction were classified into categories (critical, important, less important) based on predefined agreement rates. Five records were randomly selected at each site for reabstraction, including one short (3–7 days), two medium (8–12 days), and two long (18–22 days) stay cases. Agreement rates for each data item were calculated for individual units and across the network.

Results A total of 155 cases and 14,725 data fields were reabstracted. The overall agreement rates for critical, important, and less important data items were 98.0, 96.1, and 96.3%, respectively. Individual site variation for discrepancies ranged between 0.2 and 12.8% for all collected data items.

Conclusion Neonatal data extraction within the CNN database structure exhibited high precision; thereby, revealing the reliability of our data abstraction for neonatal demographic, processes of care, and outcomes information. An independent external audit of data extraction would be beneficial.

Keywords

database - benchmarking - neonatal network - audit

Canadian Neonatal Network Data Abstractors

Sue Wadsworth and Margaret Baker, Victoria General Hospital, Victoria, British Columbia; Afsaneh Afshar and Sheryl Atkinson, B.C. Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia; Parisa Golahmadinia, Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster, British Columbia; Kristen Konowalchuk, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Surrey, British Columbia; Tracy Dubitz, Donna Gardiner, and Sandi Moller, Royal Alexandra Hospital & University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta; Ali Macrobie, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Alberta; Michelle Matthews, Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, Alberta; Aimee Goss and Laura Wiwchar, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Caroline Sorensen, Regina General Hospital, Regina, Saskatchewan; Valerie Cook, Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Naomi Granke, Dayle Everatt, and Diane Schultz, St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Jodie Nugent and Yit Kuk Chan, Windsor Regional Hospital, Windsor, Ontario; Ellen Townson, Loreanne D'Orazio, and Wendy Seidlitz, McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre, Hamilton; Sheila Johnston and Nancy Dodman, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario; Elena Nikolaeva, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario; Robin Knighton, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario; Allyson Morris, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario; Lizy Kodiattu, Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, Ontario; Francois Tshibemba, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and Ottawa General Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario; Alda DiBattista, Montréal Children's Hospital, Montréal, Québec; Sylvie Vincent, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec; Jocelyne Vallee and Lucie Lafond, Hôpital Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec; Nathalie Fredette and Mylène Leblanc, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Sainte Foy, Québec; Dr. Valérie Bertelle and Dr. Édith Massé Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec; Debbie Arsenault, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Irma Macdonald, Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney, Nova Scotia; Valerie Cobham-Richards, Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, New Brunswick; Norma Leger, Moncton Hospital, Moncton, New Brunswick; Carol Muncer, Joanne Aube, Carol Levesque, and Janet Paquin (Coordinator), Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital, Fredericton, New Brunswick; Nicole Tucker, Janeway Children's Health and Rehabilitation Centre, St. John's, Newfoundland.


Funding

Organizational support for the Canadian Neonatal Network was provided by the Maternal-Infant Care Research Centre (MiCare) at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, ON, Canada. MiCare is supported by a team grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR, FRN87518) and in-kind support from Mount Sinai Hospital. The Canadian Neonatal Network is supported by a CIHR Preterm Birth Network Team Grant (PBN150642). Dr. Shah holds an Applied Research Chair in Reproductive and Child Health Services and Policy Research awarded by the CIHR (APR-126340).