Experts saw ‘alarming errors’ in the DOH COVID-19 data
DOH COVID-19 Data – Experts from the University of the Philippines spotted “alarming errors” in the coronavirus records of the Department of Health.
The health department has been updating the public regarding the COVID-19 cases in the whole country. However, experts reportedly have seen some inconsistencies. In a recent Facebook post of UP Resilience Institute, the team of experts enumerated what they saw on the data from the DOH.
“Decisions depend on data, and any analysis is only as good as the data at hand. In light of this, the team discusses their observations on prevailing data issues and their recommendations moving forward,” the post stated.
Based on the information written on Facebook, there are certain issues that the health department has not addressed yet until now. Included in the unsolved issue is the mismatch between the records of the DOH and the local government units (LGUs). According to the experts, there are alarming errors in the patient-level data as well as the inconsistencies in the coding of the PSGC (Official Philippine Standard Geographic Code) for cases withing regions.
Furthermore, the team also cited the inconsistencies in the use of date formats in the DOH data drop. In the post, the UP Resilience Institute also stressed out the importance of transparency and accountability.
“Data must be used to generate knowledge. Keeping information in silos limits our understanding of the problem, thus limiting our chances to maintain and preserve public health and security,” the post stated.
Experts also reiterated that resolving the issues regarding the COVID-19 data as soon as possible can ensure the “public trust in the plans, decisions, and pronouncements of the government and its private partners.”
Here is the post from the UP Resilience Institute.
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