Data Validation and Verification

Health Care Online uses its great programming expertise to create systems that validate and verify data in your Clinical Trials, Postmarketing Surveillance and Post-Marketing Studies.

All of the following validation methods as well as other methods are utilized in all HCOL Systems:

• Format checks: Checks that the data is in a specified format (template), e.g., dates have to be in the format DD/MM/YYYY.
• Data type checks: Check the data type of the input and give an error message if the input data does not match with the chosen data type, e.g., In an input box accepting numeric data, if the letter 'O' was typed instead of the number zero, an error message would appear.
• Range check: Checks that the data lie within a specified range of values, e.g., the month of a person's date of birth should lie between 1 and 12.
• Limit check: Unlike range checks, data is checked for one limit only, upper OR lower, e.g., data should not be greater than 2 (>2).
• Presence check: Checks that important data are actually present and have not been missed out, e.g., customers may be required to have their telephone numbers listed.
• Check digits: Used for numerical data. An extra digit is added to a number which is calculated from the digits. The computer checks this calculation when data are entered, e.g., The ISBN for a book. The last digit is a check digit calculated using a modulus 11 method.
• Batch totals: Checks for missing records. Numerical fields may be added together for all records in a batch. The batch total is entered and the computer checks that the total is correct, e.g., add the 'Total Cost' field of a number of transactions together.
• Hash totals: This is just a batch total done on one or more numeric fields which appears in every record, e.g., add the Telephone Numbers together for a number of Customers.
• Spelling check: Looks for spelling and grammar errors.
• Consistency Checks: Checks fields to ensure data in these fields corresponds, e.g., If Title = "Mr.", then Gender = "M".