Data Collection Tools and Creation of a Usable Database Adam Schlichting University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Emergency Medicine Last updated:

Introduction Introduction Why? DO NOT COPY INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM CHARTS INTO A COMPUTER DATABASE! Decrease mistakes Lose charts Concisely store all of the data for your study Data sheets can be checked in seconds, charts take minutes to hours

Introduction Introduction The Questions Before designing a data collection tool, you must have a clear answer to the following questions: What is it you are trying to show with your study? What is the main hypothesis? What is the 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th, hypothesis? What data will you need to form your conclusion? Think about your final manuscript and work backwards Use your abstract as a template

Introduction Introduction The Balancing Act Collecting data is time consuming Collect only what you need Going back to collect more data later is painful Collect ALL the data you need for each case

Data Collection Tool Data Collection Tool The Fields What information do you need for every case? Trackable case ID Allows you to find case again MR# Study ID# Date Demographic information (who you studied) Sex Age Race/ethnicity

Data Collection Tool Data Collection Tool The Fields If multiple investigators/sites: Who recorded the case (initials)? Which site? Specify formats: Time: 24 hour time or AM/PM? Dates: July 4, (European) (U.S.)

Data Collection Tool Data Collection Tool Simplify and Specify Data Collection Circle or check-boxes Forces conformity on data recorders Reduces problems caused by illegibility Include all possible selections that may be of interest Include “Other”/”Other Specify” How many choices should be selected? All that apply? Most pertinent? Most severe?

Data Collection Tool Data Collection Tool Examples Chest Pain Prospective with chart review component Violence in EMS Anonymous, cross-sectional survey No specific identifying information

Data Collection Tool Data Collection Tool Storing Once you have begun collecting data, make copies Keep a reserve, off-site copy of all of your work Don’t store it in your car

Creating a Database Creating a Database Why? Once you have collected your data: Pile of paper with information To draw any conclusions from these data Analyze en-mass Analyze many variables Analyze relationships between variables

Make it simple but complete Incorporate all info used at the beginning: Demographics (age, sex, race….), hypothesis questions, inclusion and exclusion questions, outcomes No chances to go back and recollect data once the study is over Make it yes/no as much as possible Easiest to enter data on a spreadsheet when 1=yes and 2=no Creating a Database Creating a Database General Tips

Data sheets should have a logical flow Needs to make sense to people not directly involved in the study Provide a way of accounting for data sheets (i.e. subjects) Numbering system works best Remember to maintain subject confidentiality Make data sheet simple if subject needs to fill it out Use lay terms, not medical terms

Creating a Database Creating a Database General Tips Opening paragraph at the top of each data sheet that provides an explanation of the project Use language appropriate to reader If appropriate, have a second sheet that includes reference phone numbers Subject may call these numbers if he or she has any questions Spell check your work!

Creating a Database Creating a Database What To Use Microsoft Excel Easy to use Microsoft Access More difficult to setup Once constructed, more difficult to screw-up D-BASE We’ll focus on Excel

Creating a Database Creating a Database Microsoft Excel

Rows Columns

Creating a Database Creating a Database Microsoft Excel 1 case = 1 row Each variable for that case goes in a separate column Label column using first row only Variable labels may be up to 8 characters long (for analysis)

Creating a Database Creating a Database Microsoft Excel: Encoding Variables Use a blank data collection tool as a decoder KEEP MULTIPLE COPIES OF THIS DECODER SHEET

Creating a Database Creating a Database Microsoft Excel: Encoding Variables Can enter numbers or text Male / Female M / F 1 / 0 ***** 1 / 2 During later analysis Can do frequency counts on text variables Can’t do regressions using text variables

Creating a Database Creating a Database Microsoft Excel: Encoding Variables For simplicity, use M / F Should you need to do regressions, recoding variables later to 1 / 0 is not difficult

Creating a Database Creating a Database Microsoft Excel: Encoding Variables Date / Time Separate columns for month, date, year Can merge later Separate columns for hours, minutes Can merge later

Creating a Database Creating a Database Microsoft Excel: Encoding Variables Multiple choice questions 1: choice one 2: choice two 3: choice 3 … No data Leave blank: excluded from freq. counts 99: how many cases had missing data

Creating a Database Creating a Database Microsoft Excel: Encoding Variables Multiple choice questions with ‘other’ Create variable for ‘specify if other’ Input text If no data, leave blank

Creating a Database Creating a Database Microsoft Excel: Encoding Variables Free response questions Age: _________ Blood Pressure: _________ Divide into DBP and SBP If no data, leave it blank

Creating a Database Creating a Database Microsoft Excel: Encoding Variables Free response questions Age: _________ Blood Pressure: _________ Divide into DBP and SBP If no data, leave it blank

Creating a Database Creating a Database Microsoft Excel: Save Early and Often

Save in multiple locations Keep a copy for yourself Harddrives crash Keep a copy on floppy disk

Creating a Database Creating a Database Microsoft Excel: Example

Questions?