What is Data Quality?
When a person receives and immunization in Nevada, information (data) about that person and what they received is sent to and stored in Nevada WebIZ, the statewide immunization information system, or IIS (as required by Nevada RevisedStatute (NRS) 439.265 and Nevada
Administrative Code 439.870-897). This data is typically entered by medical providers after the vaccine is administered. The information entered is assessed by Nevada WebIZ staff for adherence to data quality standards. According to AIRA's Data Quality Guide ISS data quality refers to, "the degree to which data sent to or stored in an ISS (NV WebIZ) meet current standards, support clinical decision-making needs, and can be used to answer key public health questions with high confidence.
What are the Data Quality Standards?
The data in Nevada WebIZ is assessed for adherence to certain data quality standards set by ISS experts, such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA). These organizations play a large role in advising and guiding sate programs, like the Nevada State Immunization Program (NISP), to achieve high quality data standards. Below are the measures NSIP has chosen to assess and monitor, based on the recommendations of these experts:
Timeless: Timeless refers to the time it takes for an immunization (aka "vaccination event") to be entered into Nevada WebIZ. The CDC recommends immunization records be transmitted to Nevada WebIZ no later than 24 hours after administration. NSIP considers immunization reported within two (2) calendar days of administration to be compliant. This is to account for any system outages or reporting challenges.
Completeness: Completeness refers to both a complete demographic record for the patient, and complete data for every vaccination event reported. Complete demographic records reduce the creation of duplicate records, allow patients to quickly and easily access their records, and allow NSIP to identify underserved populations and regions where a higher risk of disease may be present. Vaccination details support important activities, such as dose accountability and vaccine recall. It is recommended to have much information as possible to be able to monitor validity and accuracy, as well as answer key questions regarding the immunization status of the various communities within Nevada.
Validity: Validity refers to whether the information entered conforms to the standards and recommendations outlined by the CDC, such as age-appropriate vaccination. Monitoring validity helps identify clinical and data entry errors.
Accuracy: Accuracy refers to whether the information entered is a
true representation of both the patient demographic information, and the
vaccination event that occurred. Accurate information helps NSIP address
important vaccination questions, such as the percentage of people in a county
population vaccinated against a disease and supports patient outreach during
vaccine recalls or public health emergencies.
More information about immunization data quality can be found in the data quality recommendation guide linked below: AmericanImmunization Registry Association: Data Quality Assurance in ImmunizationInformation Systems
Why does Data Quality matter?
The data stored in Nevada WebIZ is used in multiple ways.
NSIP monitors vaccination rates to answer important questions, such as who may
be vulnerable to a disease in a particular community, as well as advising
community leaders on public health efforts. The quality of the data greatly
affects the answers NSIP can provide regarding the vaccination status of
Nevada’s diverse populations, as well as the insight given to Nevada’s leaders.
Who does Data Quality affect?
Up to date, high quality records benefit everyone in
Nevada. Accurate and complete records allow parents and guardians to access
their child(ren)'s official immunization record for school and daycare
admissions. Quality record keeping assists providers in making sound clinical
decisions with their patients. Identifying pockets of need- areas that could
use additional immunization services- helps our leaders create public health
plans to care for the health of the communities they serve.
Contact Nevada WebIZ Data Quality Team
Phone: (775) 684-5900
Fax: (775) 684-8338
Email: DPBHIZDQ@health.nv.gov