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Date estimation flag
Identifying and Definitional Attributes
Identifier
QH 040405
Version
1
Metadata Item Type
Data Element
Data Element Type
Data Element
Approval Status
Current
19-Jul-1999  		Superseded
28-May-2014  
Approval Type
Standard
Approving Authority
-
Effective From
19-Jul-1999
Effective To
28-May-2014
Definition 
An indicator of the level of accuracy with which a date has been recorded.
Context 
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.
Short Name
Date estimation flag
Name in Other Contexts
-
Representational Attributes
Datatype
Character
Representation Class
Code
Format
X
Minimum Character Length
1
Maximum Character Length
1
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
CodeDescription
UDate unknown
Collection and Usage Attributes
Guide for Use 
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.
Verification Rules
-
Collection Methods 
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.
Comment
-
Relational Attributes
Related Metadata References
Has been superseded by Date-accuracy indicator QH 040907 Version 1
Is a qualifier of Date of birth-client QH 040163 Version 1
 
Implementation in Metadata Sets
Data Quality Declaration 
-
Source and Reference Attributes
Source Organisation 
-
Source Document 
-
Keywords

Estimated date