Scottish Inpatient Experience Survey 2016 Volume 2: Technical Report

Data Entry and Fieldwork Quality Control

Data entry and coding

Paper questionnaires received by Quality Health Ltd were logged and scanned on a daily basis. A verification process was then carried out for each batch scanned and a number of integrity checks were undertaken to ensure that the scanning process had worked correctly and all data had been captured as expected.

Data from online questionnaires is automatically stored alongside the data from the paper questionnaires.

Once captured, all data are checked in house by Quality Health Ltd according to pre-set verification rules, by staff who have been given training and detailed instructions about the survey. The data entry system ensured that only valid answer codes for each question could be entered and that the correct data appeared in each field. Other checks included ensuring that numeric data was the correct format and that fields were not truncated in error.

Secure disposal

Once processed, all returned questionnaires were immediately stored in labelled containers and archived in a secure room on-site until they reached their agreed destruction date. Once destroyed a certificate of destruction was received.

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The survey asked respondents three questions where a written comment could be provided:

• Was there anything particularly good about your hospital stay?
• Was there anything that could be improved?
• Do you have any other comments?

Disclosive details that could be used to identify people were suppressed when the comments were entered. These details included personal names, addresses, ages, dates, medications and medical conditions. Staff names were also removed.

Quality checks were undertaken on records to ensure that the instructions for suppressing disclosive details were followed.