The North Carolina Disease Event Tracking and Epidemiologic Collection Tool (NC DETECT) receives a designated set of data elements electronically available from 110 emergency departments (EDs) (98%) on at least a daily basis via a third party data aggregator. While automated processes monitor for data quality problems such as improper file formats or missing required elements, data corruption can occur at several stages before receipt, and if undetected, data can appear reliable. Hospitals might map to standard codes incorrectly, data aggregators might manipulate text improperly, or updates might be confused with original records. These inaccuracies cause delays and oversights in identifying events of public health importance.
Objective
This study evaluates the validity of a subset of ED data collected in NC DETECT, as well as measures the effectiveness of the data quality processes in place for this surveillance system.