Data variability and validity: The elephant in the room

References 

1. Department of Health and Human Services. AHRQ developing prospective practice-based comparative effectiveness research clinical registries: orthopedic devices, drugs, and procedures (P50). Available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HS-10-008.html. Accessed June 2, 2010.
2. Brown M, Lenoch JR, Schaff HV. Variability in data: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Adult Cardiac Surgery Database. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2010;140:267-273
3. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons STS National Database and outcomes program participation manual. Available at: http://www.sts.org/documents/pdf/ndb/Database_Manual_2009.pdf. Accessed June 2, 2010.
4. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Frequently asked questions (FAQ): adult cardiac surgery data specifications, v2.61. Available at: http://www.sts.org/documents/pdf/faq/FAQ_2.61AdultCardiac.pdf. Accessed June 2, 2010.
5. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database v2.61 consistency edits and checks. Available at: http://www.sts.org/documents/pdf/ndb/Training_Manual_Consistency_Edits_043008_(2).pdf. Accessed June 2, 2010.