Table 1.
Counts of vagueness and under-specification in narrative phenotype algorithms
| Code | Category | Sub-category | Description | Total instances | Phenotype count (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Definition of variable | Attributes of variable | Under-specification in attributes (min, max, etc.) of a variable | 47 | 13 (68.4%) |
| 1.1.1.a | Time point | Temporal entity | Under-specification of the time anchor or point of reference for a certain criterion | 22 | 11 (57.9%) |
| 1.1.1.b | Time point | Temporal interval | Under-specification of the range of time you are looking at to find a certain criteria (diagnosis, medication, lab, etc.) | 6 | 5 (26.3%) |
| 1.1.2.a | Threshold | Missing threshold | Vagueness or under-specification for a criterion in the phenotype algorithm | 2 | 2 (10.5%) |
| 1.1.2.b | Threshold | Quantifying qualitative terms | Vagueness or under-specification in the qualitative term describing a criterion (e.g., chronic, young, old, severe, negative, positive) and lacking quantitative values | 1 | 1 (5.3%) |
| 1.1.2.c | Threshold | Units | The units associated with the numeric value (e.g., mg/dL) are not specified | 2 | 1 (5.3%) |
| 1.2 | Definition of variable | Alternatives to missing data | Request for instructions when data elements not available | 6 | 5 (26.3%) |
| 1.3 | Definition of variable | Code/acronym/term definition |
Under-specification regarding acronyms, variables or codes. This could be related to: 1. Local and unique codes 2. Coding/terminology system (including use of base codes) 3. Vague terminology/codes |
28 | 11 (57.9%) |
| 1.4 | Definition of variable | Location in EHR | Under-specification regarding how or where certain criteria/variables should be obtained within the EHR | 10 | 6 (31.6%) |
| 2.1 | Data dictionary | Data delivery | Under-specification regarding how the data dictionaries should be structured and how to be delivered to site | 3 | 2 (10.5%) |
| 2.2 | Data dictionary | Information inclusion | Under-specification regarding what results should be included in the data dictionary | 31 | 10 (52.6%) |
| 2.3 | Data dictionary | Results presentation and formatting | Under-specification regarding the formatting of the results in the data dictionary. This may include numeric formatting (e.g., number of decimal places), or granularity of units (e.g., date of birth vs. age) | 27 | 8 (42.1%) |
| 3.1 | Logic | Discordant logic | Discrepancy between the written description and the flow chart or the procedures in the flowchart | 17 | 8 (42.1%) |
| 3.2 | Logic | Missing rationale or context | Under-specification in the rationale and/or context of the phenotype for its appropriate application | 11 | 8 (42.1%) |
| 3.3 | Logic | Population criteria | Vagueness and under-specification in the criteria differences between the case and control or other cohort definitions | 20 | 11 (57.9%) |
A total of 304 instances were found across 253 comments (a single comment could exhibit more than one category). Sub-codes are more specific and considered distinct from a higher-level code. Total instances denote the aggregate count of unique instances of under-specifications found across all phenotypes