Common Measure Delivery or Receipt Errors and Hazards Experienced in TRADEMaRQ
| Error Types | Examples | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Measure miscalculation | Incorrect numerator or denominator Measures calculated incorrectly sent from inception, noticed 11 months after system launch Incorrect data period (measurement period required 12 months, but 11 months used) Incorrect denominator inclusion criteria used for greater than 1 year Numerator >denominator error Patient panel (erroneously) reduced to 0 Physician moved clinics and changed panels so that measures could not be reconciled; removed from the study Significant change in scores for 5 measures | Corrected data sent and uploaded manually after manual removal of incorrect data Revised measure calculations Error caught internally and repaired; delayed transmission Fixed reporting period compression error |
| Data delivery error | Delay in data delivery Blank file sent Incorrect NQF number attached to file | Corrected, resent, manual data replacement |
| Non-enrolled physician data sent | Physician data sent before they were enrolled/randomized Ineligible physician data sent | Physician enrolled and randomized or excluded |
| Data reporting interrupted | Physician data reported for one period but not another Internal system change caused a measure to not get reported Source database moved and transmission credentials not configured Critical subsystem source failure, 6-week delay | Updated files sent and manually uploaded |
| Host receiving server not running | System update interruption | Server brought back online |
| Third party errors | Two years into study, learned that a third-party company was doing measure management and transmitting incorrectly Third-party processes caused several month delays in file transmission around turn of calendar year | Worked directly with vendor to correct calculation or transmission errors Files caught up once data sent by third party |
NQF = National Quality Forum; TRADEMaRQ = Trial of Aggregate Data Exchange for Maintenance of certification and Raising Quality.