Lessons learned from over a decade of data audits in international observational HIV cohorts in Latin America and East Africa

• DOI: 10.1017/cts.2023.659
• Publication Date: 2023-11-03T11:04:45Z
• Authors: Sarah C. Lotspeich; Bryan E. Shepherd; Marion Achieng Ka...; Kara Wools-Kalous...; Catherine C. McGowan; Beverly Musick; Aggrey Semeere; Brenda E. Crabtre...; Denna M. Mkwashapi; Carina Cesar; Matthew Ssemakadde; Daisy Maria Machado; Antony Ngeresa; Flávia Faleiro Fe...; Jerome Lwali; Adias Marcelin; Sandra Wagner Car...; Marco Tulio Luque; Larissa Otero; Claudia P. Cortés; Stephany N. Duda
• Keywords: Países en Desarrollo; Administración en Salud; observational cohorts; Data quality; Observational cohorts; R; VIH; HIV; international research; Exactitud de los Datos; Data audits; 3. Good health; LMIC; data quality; Medicine; International Research Information System; Estudios de Cohortes; International research; Research Article

Abstract Introduction: Routine patient care data are increasingly used for biomedical research, but such “secondary use” have known limitations, including their quality. When leveraging routine observational developing audit protocols that can maximize informational return and minimize costs is paramount. Methods: For more than a decade, the Latin America East Africa regions of International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium been auditing drawn from participating human immunodeficiency virus clinics. Since our earliest audits, where external auditors paper forms record findings medical records, we streamlined obtain efficient informative audits keep up with advancing technology while reducing travel obligations associated costs. Results: We present five key lessons learned conducting secondary-use resource-limited settings 10 years share eight recommendations other consortia looking implement quality initiatives. Conclusion: After completing multiple cycles in both IeDEA consortium, established rich reference cohorts, as well large, audited analytical datasets be answer important clinical questions confidence. By sharing processes how they adapted over time, hope others develop informed by decade experience these diverse cohorts.