Electronic data collection in large surveys population based

The study AQUARES - Access and Quality in the Health Network - analyze the access and use of health services, their performance and quality of care. In 2008, 11 teams with 55 researchers collected data from 25,000 individuals - children, adults and elderly - in the urban area of 100 municipalities in small, medium and large size of the five regions of Brazil. Using a PDA device for data collection a set of applications has been designed, highlighting an "Editor's Questionnaire" for database modeling and edition of the questions, answers, jumps of context and acceptable values; the "Questionnaire" raising questions, validate their responses and storing them into the database, the "converter" that tests the integrity and brings together various databases in one and "Analyzer", which validates and corrects any data errors. In the field work, at end each census sector the data files of each PDA are copied to a notebook, renamed and emailed to coordination. Each delivery accompanied by a change report data. The files were assembled in batches of 100 and each batch was tested in its integrity and processed. An automated evaluation checked that all blocks were completed correctly and that there is no record of duplicity. The partial databases were converted, block by block, from the PDA database format to a statistical database format, where the blocks were assembled, thus becoming the final file with all records. In total, about 1,600 files and over 3,000 variables were processed. Preliminary results demonstrate losses in 8% of the records, similar to studies that use paper investigations, and a saving of 40% of the costs of data collection. By identifying the challenges and potential in the use of portable tool are believed to contribute to greater effectiveness and efficiency in data collection in population-based studies on health.