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Data Quality: Accuracy, Completeness & Integrity

Duration: 40 min · Level: Intermediate · Module: 4. Patient Registration & Data Management · Focus: data-quality, AHIMA, audit-trails, integrity, governance

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson you will be able to explain and apply:

  • AHIMA data quality characteristics
  • Common data quality errors
  • Data governance
  • Audit trails
  • Data integrity testing

Why this matters​

Poor data quality in health records has direct consequences: wrong medications, missed diagnoses, claim denials, and inaccurate quality reporting.

Overview​

Poor data quality in health records has direct consequences: wrong medications, missed diagnoses, claim denials, and inaccurate quality reporting. AHIMA defines six data quality characteristics that CEHRS specialists must apply to every data element they touch.

Key concepts​

Key idea

AHIMA data quality characteristics: accuracy (correct), completeness (all required elements present), consistency (no contradictions within or across records), timeliness (documented when required), relevance (appropriate to the patient and encounter), granularity (sufficient detail)

  • Common data quality errors: wrong patient (overlay), transposed dates (1982 entered as 1928), gender mismatch, incorrect medication dosage, missing allergies, duplicate diagnoses with contradictory laterality
  • Data governance: formal program defining who owns data quality, how errors are reported, and how corrections are made; CEHRS specialists report quality issues to the data governance committee or HIM director
  • Audit trails: EHR systems log every access, entry, edit, and deletion with user ID, timestamp, and action; audit trails cannot be edited or deleted; critical for investigating errors and HIPAA breaches
  • Data integrity testing: regular comparison between EHR data and source systems (lab, pharmacy, registration) to detect interface failures; CEHRS staff may run reconciliation reports
  • Defective data reporting: when a CEHRS specialist identifies a quality issue (wrong MRN on a result, duplicate patient record), they must follow the facility's data correction policy — not attempt to fix it unilaterally

Check your understanding​

Try to recall each answer before expanding it.

Q1. What do you know about AHIMA data quality characteristics?

accuracy (correct), completeness (all required elements present), consistency (no contradictions within or across records), timeliness (documented when required), relevance (appropriate to the patient and encounter), granularity (sufficient detail)

Q2. What do you know about Common data quality errors?

wrong patient (overlay), transposed dates (1982 entered as 1928), gender mismatch, incorrect medication dosage, missing allergies, duplicate diagnoses with contradictory laterality

Q3. What do you know about Data governance?

formal program defining who owns data quality, how errors are reported, and how corrections are made; CEHRS specialists report quality issues to the data governance committee or HIM director

Q4. What do you know about Audit trails?

EHR systems log every access, entry, edit, and deletion with user ID, timestamp, and action; audit trails cannot be edited or deleted; critical for investigating errors and HIPAA breaches

Q5. What do you know about Data integrity testing?

regular comparison between EHR data and source systems (lab, pharmacy, registration) to detect interface failures; CEHRS staff may run reconciliation reports

← Previous: C4.3 Consent, Advance Directives & Patient Rights Documentation

Part of Module 4: Patient Registration & Data Management.