Methodology for the assessment of data quality : application to HIV and AIDS programs in Latin America

Evidence is crucial in strategic planning for HIV response as well as the monitoring of results. This paper presents a simple tool that can be used to analyze the methodological quality of HIV data, its scope and limitations, and whether it can be accurately compared with other evidence. The tool, utilized as a questionnaire or checklist, first identifies the type of document containing the data; the status and means of its publication; the epidemiological design used; and the priority population. Next, the document is analyzed against a verification list based on eight methodological criteria: 1) objective; 2) inclusion and exclusion criteria; 3) sample size; 4) sampling technique; 5) error-reduction strategies; 6) data analysis technique; 7) limitations; and 8) confidence intervals and/or statistical significance. The paper also presents the results of implementing the tool in three Latin American countries.