Introduction | Principles | Data Entry | Coding Reference | Quality Reviews

Quality Review Activities

Quality review activities are not restricted to the NCIS team. Each jurisdiction conducts various quality activities throughout the data entry and case closure process. However, jurisdictional quality activities are hindered by resource and time constraints.

The majority of data fields collected in the NCIS are controlled by a dataset which is specific to each data field and limits the choices or options for the field (for example, Sex is limited to Male, Female, Unlikely to be Known). Drop-down menus are used to make data entry as easy and accurate as possible. Where applicable free text data fields are used, these fields allow coders to enter case specific information which cannot be explained using the standard codeset.

Automated edits and warnings are incorporated into both the LCMS and NCIS to ensure that mandatory data fields are completed prior to the closure of the case. These edits help to ensure that the minimum of information and coding is completed before the case is closed off.

A more thorough review of each case is conducted by the NCIS team upon closure of the case.

Quality Assurance Audits

All closed NCIS cases are reviewed by the NCIS Quality Assurance Team

There have been two QA plans implemented over the years, each has its own advantages and disadvantages as discussed below.

1. Case reviewed and changes made by NCIS Quality Manager (Prior to cases closed in February 2004).

   Advantages:

   • Corrections or amendments made promptly;
   • Corrections or amendments consistent across all jurisdictions;
   • No increase in workload of NCIS coders.

   Disadvantages:

   • Inconsistencies between NCIS and LCMS resulting from corrections or amendments being made directly into NCIS;
   • Corrections or amendments made by directly into NCIS, more likely to be overridden by uploads from the LCMS, reversing the efforts of the Quality Assurance;
   • NCIS Coders not advised of amendments and therefore continue to make same errors, not decreasing the number of errors or the workload of the NCIS Quality Team.


2. Case reviewed and report of required amendments sent to each jurisdiction (As from cases closed in or after February 2004).

   Advantages:

   • Corrections or amendments made directly into LCMS and then uploaded to the NCIS, resulting in consistent data between NCIS and LCMS;
   • Less chance that corrections made will be overridden as LCMS and NCIS should be synchronised;
   • NCIS Coders receive quality report and are therefore made aware of coding or system errors that require attention;
   • Decrease in number of identified errors.
   • Corrections or amendments consistent across all jurisdictions;

   Disadvantages:

   • Jurisdictions do not have the time to make the corrections or amendments in a timely manner;
   • Quality reports ignored or given lower priority by jurisdictions;
   • Increase in workload of NCIS coders, varies on the number of cases closed and errors identified.

The NCIS Quality Team identifies cases for review based on the date the case was closed in either the LCMS or NCIS, dependent on the data entry system used by the jurisdiction.

Cases were identified using the Date Case Closed data field. However, process was ineffective due to the fact that this data field was being completed by jurisdictions in one of two ways:

1. Date the case was completed and closed on the Local Case Management System (LCMS) and flagged for upload to the NCIS;
   • Quality Report reflects case closure rate and workload of the NCIS coders for the month reviewed.
   • Can be used to calculate the time between Case Notification and Case Closure by the NCIS Coder.
   OR
2. Date case was completed and closed by the Coroner.
   • Coding is backdated to reflect the date the Coroner issues the finding or closes the case.
   • Quality Report does not reflects case closure rate and workload of the NCIS coders for the month reviewed
   • Can be used to calculate the time between Case Notification and Case Closure by the Coroner.

Changes to the LCMS, rolled out to relevant jurisdictions during April 2005 were implemented to remove this inconsistency and provide the NCIS Quality Team with a reliable and consistent date to be used for identify audit cases.

• Date Case Closed data field renamed Coroner Closed.
• Date case closed in LCMS collected behind the application, invisible to coders but visible to the NCIS Team.

As of 1 May 2004 all jurisdictions were advised to change procedures to ensure that the data fields was used to enter the date the case was closed by the coroner.

Cases are identified using the Case Closed Date automatically recorded in the LCMS or NCIS when the case is signed off by the NCIS Coder.

Quality Assurance Errors

Subsequent to Quality Reports distributed for April 2004, three categories of errors have been allocated to NCIS cases.

1. Critical Error

Signifies that the identified error(s) occurs in a data field that is fundamental to the NCIS and would most likely influence the results of a search performed on the NCIS data. Most commonly identified data fields include:

• Case Type – Case Completion
• Date of Birth
• Date/Time – Last Seen Alive, Incident, Death, Body Found
• Incident Activity Details
• Intent – Case Completion
• Location – Last Seen Alive, Incident, Death, Body Found
• Mechanism of Injury
• Medical Cause of Death
• Object or Substance Producing Injury
• Vehicle Details – Mode of Transport, Counterpart, Context, User


2. Warning Error

Signifies that the identified error(s) occurs in a data field that is fundamental to the NCIS but would is not likely to influence the results of a search performed on the NCIS data. Most commonly identified data fields include:

• Address – Residential, Last Seen Alive, Incident, Death, Body Found
• Age (at death)
• Country of Birth
• Marital Status
• Product
• Sex
• Work-Relatedness
• Years in Australia


3. Advisable Error

Signifies that the identified error(s) occurs in the coding of Mechanism of Injury and Object and/or Substance Producing Injury for cases with a Case Type coded as “Death by Natural Cause(s)”.

The coding of a mechanism and object is optional for Natural Deaths however, when coded the case is subject to the normal QA processes and errors will be identified and recommended for amendment.

These cases are not included in the statistics for Critical Rejections but are included in the overall Errors Statistics.

Possible Explanations for Poor Data Quality

• Cavalier data entry practice
• Non-application of NCIS coding instructions
• Unavailability of coding quality tools (coding manual & Data Dictionary)
• Lack of NCIS coder training
• Technical difficulties

Quality Assurance Flagging System

Quality assurance is applied only to cases with a Case Status equal to Closed.

• Case Status
• Date Case Closed - Invisible data field
• Quality Assured - Invisible data field

1. Search NCIS to identify cases meeting following scenario: Case Status = Closed

   Date Case Closed = within specified time frame (usually one month period, e.g. 01/06/2004 to 30/06/2004

2. Change Quality Assured data field to P (Pending) This identifies that NCIS Quality Team has commenced reviewing this case; NCIS will not accept any attempts to upload information for this case.
3. Review flagged cases.

   Run the identified cases through the SQL edits and visual verification of coding.

   Accepted – Change Quality Assured data field to Y (Yes) This identifies that the NCIS Quality Team has accepted the coding and information of this cases as an accurate reflection of the events resulting in death.

   NCIS will not accept any attempts to upload information for this case.

   Rejected – Change Quality Assured data field to J (Jurisdiction) This identifies that the NCIS Quality Team has detected errors in the coding of one or more data fields. The case will be included in the Quality Assurance Report distributed to jurisdictions.

   NCIS will accept uploads of information for this case.

4. Quality Assurance Reports distributed to relevant jurisdictions. The report will detail relevant information on all cases that require amendment or correction.
5. Jurisdiction uploads amended case to NCIS.

   Change Quality Assured data field to R (Resubmitted). This identifies that the case has been reviewed by the Quality Team, amended and uploaded by the jurisdiction.

   Cases flagged as R will be run through the Quality Assurance process again to ensure that all amendments or correction have been made and that no further errors have been made.

Introduction | Principles | Data Entry | Coding Reference | Quality Reviews