The nKPI data collection: data quality issues working paper

The AIHW collects data against a set of national Key Performance Indicators (nKPIs) from primary health care organisations that provide health care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. The nKPI data are collected every 6 months, reported back to organisations at the individual service level and compiled for national reporting purposes. The raw data received from health organisations are carefully checked to identify any data quality issues and are corrected, in consultation with services, through an ‘exception reporting’ process before the data are used in any type of reporting. This working paper identifies the most common data quality issues that lead to the issuing of exception reports, and suggests a number of options to improve the data collection process that will reduce the number of exception reports issued.