OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of operative data collected for the Scottish Morbidity Record 1 (SMR1). DESIGN: Retrospective comparative analysis of operative data recorded by the Scottish Office Information and Statistics Division (ISD) with that recorded in a locally held vascular database where the clinical information was entered by medical personnel. SUBJECTS: All patients with a codeable operative procedure carried out under the care of a single consultant vascular surgeon in a Regional Vascular Unit in 1994. RESULTS: A total of 840 admissions involving at least one OPCS4 code were recorded in the Vascular Database and 793 by the Scottish Office ISD. Although there was good agreement of the total number of operations and admissions, operative codes for 23 patients undergoing major abdominal aortic surgery and 19 undergoing major limb reconstruction were not recorded by the ISD. This represents 14% of total major arterial reconstructions in a single year. CONCLUSION: Accurate data collection has wide implications for research, monitoring future health trends, and planning hospital bed numbers. SMR1 data may accurately record total number of admissions and operations but is poor at distinguishing between those admissions that may be resource-intensive.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of operative data collected for the Scottish Morbidity Record 1 (SMR1). DESIGN: Retrospective comparative analysis of operative data recorded by the Scottish Office Information and Statistics Division (ISD) with that recorded in a locally held vascular database where the clinical information was entered by medical personnel. SUBJECTS: All patients with a codeable operative procedure carried out under the care of a single consultant vascular surgeon in a Regional Vascular Unit in 1994. RESULTS: A total of 840 admissions involving at least one OPCS4 code were recorded in the Vascular Database and 793 by the Scottish Office ISD. Although there was good agreement of the total number of operations and admissions, operative codes for 23 patients undergoing major abdominal aortic surgery and 19 undergoing major limb reconstruction were not recorded by the ISD. This represents 14% of total major arterial reconstructions in a single year. CONCLUSION: Accurate data collection has wide implications for research, monitoring future health trends, and planning hospital bed numbers. SMR1 data may accurately record total number of admissions and operations but is poor at distinguishing between those admissions that may be resource-intensive.