ORGANIZATION AND QUALIFY CONTROL OF A CLI NICAL DATABASE ON INTENSIVE-CARE MEDICINE IN CENTRAL AND SUBURBAN PARIS

Background : Epidemiology and medical care appraisal of intensive care medicine relies on the homogeneity of information systems. This work is about a collaborative database related to intensive care units in P aris and its suburb. Methods : A college of intensivists defined a sta ndard dataset about stays outcomes, severity of illness, diagnoses and work load, which are collected and analysed by a data management cent er. A quality control of the database was performed on a random sample of 199 stays. Results : In 1996, 25 intensive care units participated in the database which encompassed more than 35000 stays. The control of data quality showed a goad reliability of data about stays, severit y and workload but reproducibility of diagnosis coding has to be impro ved by means of more accurate coding guidelines. Conclusion : This dat abase of case-mix and outcome information allows comparison and medica l care appraisal of intensive care units.