Clinical Data Management Requires Clean Data in the Coding Process

Abstract

The clinical coding process is one of the areas where clean data are vital for good statistical analysis. The timeliness of data collection and analysis is extremely important to the process. Obstacles to obtaining clean data begin with understanding the medical language and good diagnosis. Developing an understanding of the variability of the medical language and how it impacts the clinical data will ensure better quality throughout the whole clinical process. The investigator along with his staff and their interaction with the clinical research associates (CRAs) are critical to an effective clinical coding process. Involving the CRAs directly in the coding process improves the quality of the data collected. Finally, by ensuring clean quality of data early in the process, researchers can provide senior management with early dependable data so they can more effectively manage projects.