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Data Element Detail

Date estimation flag
Identifying and Definitional Attributes
QH 040405 v1
Data Element
Data Element
Current
19-Jul-1999		Superseded
28-May-2014
Standard
19-Jul-1999
28-May-2014
An indicator of the level of accuracy with which a date has been recorded.
Provision of a date (eg date of birth) is often a mandatory requirement in data collections. Often it must be recorded in a date field type, in a computer system which does not allow the recording component of the date as null. At times, the actual date or part thereof may not be known. This data element is intended to be designed to flag a date that has been estimated, and indicate the level of accuracy with which the date is known. This data element may assist with record linkage processes when the date of birth is a component of the linkage key.
Date estimation flag
Representational Attributes
Character
Code
X
1
1
Permissible Values

Permissible_values

CodeDescription
1Date accurate within 1 year
2Date accurate within 2 years
3...9Date accurate within n years
ADate of birth calculated from the person's reported age
DDay unknown, month and year accurate
EDate estimated, level of accuracy unknown
MMonth unknown, year accurate
Supplementary Values

Supplemenary_values

CodeDescription
UDate unknown
Collection and Usage Attributes
Use the A flag when a date of birth is calculated from the person's reported age in years and the date of recording by the following formula; date of birth (estimated) = date of recording - age(yrs) - 6mths. The numeric accuracy indicators will often be determinable in situations where the date in question has been estimated from an event calendar. Use of M flag implies both month and day are unreliable (i.e. dummy). Any flag which specifies accuracy in years implies the recorded day and month are unreliable (i.e. dummy). When day is unknown record as 15. When both day and month are unknown record as 1 July.
This data element should be reported in conjunction with a reported date when any part of the date represents an estimate rather than the actual or known date.
Relational Attributes
Related Metadata References

Related Metadata References_IR

  • 1 - 2
ViewRelationshipMetadata Item TypeMetadata Item SubtypeNameIdentifier & VersionApproval Status
Has been superseded byData ElementData ElementDate-accuracy indicatorQH 040907 Version 1Superseded
Is a qualifier ofData ElementData ElementDate of birth-clientQH 040163 Version 1Superseded
Implementation in Metadata Sets

Implemented

No Metadata Items
Source and Reference Attributes
Estimated date;