Medical data quality found lacking

The healthcare industry is dependent on data to self-regulate and become more effective treating ailments. Unfortunately, the quality of results being reported by medical practices may be quite low. According to Pulse, a recently-established study of U.K. medical data quality by the NHS found incomplete data coming in from providers.

The news provider reported that there were a number of varied causes for data quality deficiencies. Standards have changed in recent years and there is a lack of tight standards and programs to enforce the importance of data quality upon employees at the providers involved.

"High quality information is essential for effective planning and commissioning and we want to see providers across the NHS give their fullest attention to ensuring accurate and comprehensive medical and managerial data," said the NHS Information Centre's Tim Straughan, according to the source.

In the coming years, healthcare professionals will need to become increasingly concerned with data quality, as more patient information enters digital storage. A recent report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality about the process of electronic health record adoption stated that a key part of the process is the creation of methods to constantly observe the quality and integrity of information.