Section 5: Data Collection Guidelines
Overview
Introduction
This section provides generic guidelines for data collection staff.
Intended
audience
This section is designed for use by those fulfilling the following roles:
• Interviewers
• Stroke principal investigator
In this section
This section covers the following topics:
Topic
Case Finding Methods
Identifying Stroke Patients in Hospitals (Step 1)
Identifying Fatal Stroke Patients in the Community
(Step 2)
Estimating Non-Fatal Stroke Events in the Community
(Step 3)
Interview Skills
Recording Responses for Registration
Completing the Stroke Instrument
Guide to Completing the Instrument: All Stroke Events
Guide to Completing the Instrument: Events Admitted to
Hospital (Step 1)
Guide to Completing the Instrument: Fatal Community
Events (Step 2)
Guide to Completing the Instrument: Non-Fatal
Community Events (Step 3)
Section 5: Data Collection Guidelines
V 2.1: Date Last Updated: 9 May 2006
See Page
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STEPS Stroke Surveillance
Case Finding Methods
Introduction
The main case finding methods used to identify stroke cases are:
• Hot pursuit (active, ongoing recruitment)
• Cold pursuit (retrospective record review)
• Combination of hot and cold pursuit.
Hot pursuit
Hot pursuit refers to ongoing 'active' identification of all stroke events as they
occur. The main purpose is to confirm that the criteria for stroke is met and
ensure complete identification of all events including mild stroke events.
Hot pursuit involves regularly checking the following:
• Daily hospital admissions,
• Hospital separations or discharges
• Emergency room registers
• Wards or units
• Death certificates.
Cold pursuit
Cold pursuit refers to retrospective identification of stroke events, for
example, based on information from hospital discharge records, or death
certificates.
This identification method relies on diagnoses made by several doctors of
varying neurological experience...