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Heart Matters conducts interviews to gather data
Quantitative data (number of adults in household, length of time since last checkup, height, weight, etc)
Qualitative data (general health, health coverage status, medications used) -
Data from interviews is stored in a BRFSS Database
BRFSS is the largest health survey system in the world. However, the data would be more secure in a private database managed by Heart Matters -
Data is converted to a CSV file
Converting data to a different format always runs the risk of being damaged -
The CSV file is stored on a secure hard drive in a locked room
Because the data contains personal health information about patients, by law the data must be secure. That is why it is important that the hard drive is secure and the room is locked. This could also affect who is allowed to access the data and how it is accessed. -
Data set and codebook are copied to a flash drive
This was done by the IT system administrator. This took place during the Heart Matters expansion. -
Data is delivered to the new location
Again handled by the IT system administrator. The new location is likely due to the Heart Matters expansion -
IT system administrator imports the CSV file into a SQL database
The most likely place where the data was lost or damaged. If the dataset is not uploaded correctly or is not compatible with the SQL database, it will not be accepted. -
Missing data discovered by a new data analyst
If the dataset is incomplete, it is impossible to accurately analyze the data to determine what the major health care issues are for the region. Incomplete data is also more susceptible to be influenced by outliers and yield misleading results.