Quality verification of hepatitis C surveillance data in a high-volume tertiary center in Chaoyang District, Beijing, 2023

Abstract

To assess the current status of hepatitis C case reporting quality at a designated hepatitis C treatment institution in Chaoyang District, Beijing, identify problems in data reporting, standardize the reporting practices of the study institution, and provide evidence for improving the quality of hepatitis C case reporting. We selected a designated hepatitis C treatment institution in Chaoyang District (which accounted for 82.6% of the total legal infectious disease report cards for hepatitis C in the district in 2023) as our study site. Subsequently, we performed a quality analysis of the hepatitis C case data reported by this institution from January to December 2023, based on indicators including reporting timeliness, logical consistency, information completeness, missing items, and medical staff’s awareness rate of hepatitis C. In 2023, Beijing Ditan Hospital submitted 398 hepatitis C case report cards, all of which were submitted timely with complete critical information. The hepatitis C antibody testing rate reached 97.99%, and confirmed cases accounted for 98.24% of the total. A small percentage of report cards (1.01%) contained minor logical inconsistencies. Notably, medical staff in non-hepatology departments and related disciplines demonstrated significantly lower hepatitis C knowledge levels compared to hepatology department staff. Although the general quality of hepatitis C case reporting at the study hospital was commendable, detailed inadequacies remain. Given that the study was conducted at a single high-volume tertiary center, the findings may not be generalizable to smaller or non-specialized institutions. Recommendations include targeted efforts by medical institutions to strengthen hepatitis C education for non-hepatology staff, alongside optimized training programs and intensified supervision by municipal and district health authorities. These measures aim to sustainably improve the quality of hepatitis C surveillance data.