Data Dictionary Assignment
You are an RHIA who works in the information systems department. You have extensive HIM experience as well as information system experience. You tend to get projects related to HIM, including data collection and reporting, and your next assignment is to create a data dictionary that will be used for data collection.
Your HIM background kicks in when you see the data quality issues in the information you are provided, which are given in the table below. The requester has told you that the information collected in the table will be used to create your new computerized MPI. Each row indicates one field; the format column tells how the data should be formatted and then number field is the number of characters the field should allow.
Analyze the information to find possible problems with the way the field would be entered into the system. Make recommendations on how to improve the information, including missing data elements, inappropriate data elements, ways to build quality into the system, ways to improve data collection, and so on.
Field Properties
|
Field
|
Format
|
Number of Characters
|
|
Name
|
FN MI LN (alpha)
|
25
|
|
Address
|
Alpha
|
25
|
|
City, State, Zip
|
Alphanumeric
|
25
|
|
Discharge Date
|
Numeric
|
6
|
|
Admission Date
|
Numeric
|
6
|
|
Discharge Disposition
|
01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 20
|
2
|
|
Service
|
Alpha
|
3
|
|
Date of Birth
|
Numeric
|
6
|
|
Race
|
b, w, h
|
2
|
|
Gender
|
m, f, u
|
1
|
McCuen, C., Sayles, N. B., & Schnering, P. (2008). Case Studies in Health Information Management. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning, pp. 241-241.