data collection tools and creation of a usable database adam schlichting university of illinois at...

Data Collection Tools and Data Collection Tools and Creation of a Creation of a UsableUsable Database Database

Adam SchlichtingUniversity of Illinois at Chicago

Department of Emergency Medicine

Last updated: 10.18.2002

IntroductionIntroductionWhy?

• 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

IntroductionIntroductionThe 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 2nd, 3rd, 4th, hypothesis?

• What data will you need to form your conclusion?

• Think about your final manuscript and work backwards

• Use your abstract as a template

IntroductionIntroductionThe 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 ToolData Collection ToolThe 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 ToolData Collection ToolThe Fields

• If multiple investigators/sites:• Who recorded the case (initials)?• Which site?

• Specify formats:• Time: 24 hour time or AM/PM?• Dates: July 4, 1987

• 04.07.87 (European)• 07.04.87 (U.S.)

Data Collection ToolData Collection ToolSimplify 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 ToolData Collection ToolExamples

• Chest Pain• Prospective with chart review

component

• Violence in EMS• Anonymous, cross-sectional survey• No specific identifying information

Data Collection ToolData Collection ToolStoring

• 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 DatabaseCreating a DatabaseWhy?

• 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 DatabaseCreating a DatabaseGeneral 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


• 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 DatabaseCreating a DatabaseWhat 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 DatabaseCreating a DatabaseMicrosoft Excel


• Rows

• Columns


• 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 DatabaseCreating a DatabaseMicrosoft Excel: Encoding Variables

• Use a blank data collection tool as a decoder

• KEEP MULTIPLE COPIES OF THIS DECODER SHEET


• 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


• For simplicity, use M / F• Should you need to do regressions,

recoding variables later to 1 / 0 is not difficult


• Date / Time• Separate columns for month, date, year

• Can merge later

• Separate columns for hours, minutes

• Can merge later


• 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


• Multiple choice questions with ‘other’• Create variable for ‘specify if other’• Input text• If no data, leave blank


• Free response questions• Age: _________

• Blood Pressure: _________• Divide into DBP and SBP

• If no data, leave it blank

Creating a DatabaseCreating a DatabaseMicrosoft Excel: Save Early and Often

Creating a DatabaseCreating a DatabaseMicrosoft Excel: Save Early and Often

• Save in multiple locations

• Keep a copy for yourself

• Harddrives crash• Keep a copy on floppy disk

Creating a DatabaseCreating a DatabaseMicrosoft Excel: Example

Questions?Questions?

data collection tools and creation of a usable database adam schlichting university of illinois at...

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