Initial applications and annual renewals with The Nevada Registry are currently available through an online submission process. As such, applicants and returning members complete most of the data entry associated with their account by entering all the requested data within the digital application and renewal forms and as part of the application process. Additionally, members can submit updates to their contact and employment information at any time through their Online Portal account. All data submitted through the membership application and renewal process is reviewed by a Registry Specialist prior to being saved and added to membership accounts. Registry Specialists review data submitted by applicants and members for spelling errors, date conflicts (e.g., employment start date is later than end date) and any other obvious data entry errors (i.e., submitting a new program that is already in the system, etc.). When errors are found, the data is corrected by the Registry Specialist prior to saving the data to the member’s account. No other partner agencies or individuals have access or data entry rights to our data system.
The Nevada Registry attempts to reduce data entry errors made by members and staff through the implementation of business rules preventing required information from being saved if it has been entered incorrectly (i.e., pre-formatted data fields that accept data in a specific format) and by utilizing pre-defined dropdown menus as much as possible. Additional business rules have been created and incorporated as part of the online application process to prevent invalid entries of data by members (i.e., cannot enter more than 12 months per year, 40 hours per week, $0 hour wage, etc.).
Data Entry Error Prevention/Reduction Measures
Many data fields have been programmed to accept data in a pre-defined format. For example, “State” can only be entered in a two-letter format. If the state is spelled out upon data entry, an error will be triggered, and the data will not be saved. The same is true for many other fields throughout the database. Several examples of data entry error reduction measures are provided below.
- To reduce the likelihood of creating duplicate accounts for the same individual, several system checks have been built into the online application request process. The database searches for potential existing members by looking for matches in email address, DOB, first name and last name. Registry Specialists review this information prior to creating a new account/granting access to the online membership application. When a match is found, a series of email options are available to redirect the individual to their existing account. To further reduce the likelihood of duplicate accounts being created in error, an internal error report has been created to flag possible duplications based on name and date of birth. This report is reviewed daily. If a duplicate account is found, the two accounts are merged. Because the membership renewal process is online and tied to the individual’s Online Portal account, it is not possible for renewal data to be entered into the incorrect membership account.
- Duplicate email addresses can be an indication an individual already has a Registry account. As a result, a warning appears when an email address matches the data saved in another account. Because the error includes the account(s) where the duplicate(s) exist, Registry Specialists are able to verify whether the data is valid or not, immediately correct data errors and reduce the likelihood of creating a second account for a single individual.
- Pre-populated dropdown lists are utilized as much as possible to reduce the number of data entry errors.
- Applicants self-report their employer. As a result, it is possible for variations of the same program name to be submitted within the application process (i.e., TMCC Child Care Center vs. EL Cord Child Care Center; both referring to the same program). To reduce the likelihood of creating duplicate program records in the database, Registry Specialists search the database by program address to determine whether it is a new program or an existing program under a different name, and to ensure the correct program is assigned when multiple programs exist at the same location. If employment is not verifiable (e.g., a facility does not exist and/or is not or listed on Child Care Licensing’s database), it is listed as ‘Currently Not Working in ECE’ until more information is obtained from the member.
Career Ladder levels are checked for data entry errors through a multi-step process:
- All Registry Specialists are responsible for reviewing and verifying data submitted via the online membership and renewal processes at various points and completing the data entry associated with documentation submitted (e.g., training certificates, college transcripts, certifications). Each informally determines the individual’s anticipated Career Ladder level based on the documentation submitted during the review, verification and data entry process. This anticipated level is entered in the ‘Licensing’ tab of the individual’s account. The anticipated level is compared to the system-generated level assigned through the processing procedure. If there is a discrepancy, the file is reviewed to determine the cause of the discrepancy and corrections are made as necessary to ensure accurate Career Ladder level assignment.
- In all instances, regardless of which Registry Specialist verified and entered the data, an additional check is made on all files following the processing procedure to determine if the level generated by the system matches the anticipated level. If it does not match, the file is evaluated to determine what may have caused the discrepancy. If it is a data entry error, corrections are made. If it appears to be a system error, the issue is routed to the Database Programmer for review and correction. Only when the anticipated and system-generated Career Ladder levels match, is a file considered complete.
Identification of Data Entry Errors
Data entry errors are identified in several ways.
1.) Built-in database business rules (outlined previously) identify errors at the time of data entry.
2.) A series of quality assurance reports can be run by the Program Director and Database Programmer to check for data outliers (obvious and/or logical inconsistencies) such as employment end dates that are earlier than the start date, hourly incomes outside preset ranges (i.e., unusually high or low), missing information (position titles, counties of residence, gender designation), employment records not marked as current with no end date, etc. With the launch of the online membership application and renewal process, many of these types of errors can no longer occur.
3.) Queries tied to system-generated reports identify missing data.
4.) Processed applications and renewals can be randomly reviewed by the Program Director for accuracy.
Correction of Data Entry Errors
Each staff person logs into the database using their own login credentials making it possible to determine who input the data in the fields that are linked to the quality assurance reports.
Quality Assurance Reports
The Nevada Registry has identified the data fields where data entry errors commonly occur (most often, where a dropdown list is not available) and has created a series of quality assurance reports to capture potential errors. Quality assurance reports are accessible via the ‘Admin’ tab on the administrative dashboard and are accessible to the Program Director only. Because the initials of the Registry Specialist responsible for the data entry on each application or renewal form are captured, it is possible to determine which staff member made the potential error. Potential errors are returned to the staff member linked to the data entry for verification and/or correction if needed. Errors are required to be corrected within two business days.
Missing Data Queries
A series of read-only reports linked to the data system are always available to Registry staff from within the admin database. It is through the process of running statistical reports that data entry errors, more specifically, lack of data, can also be identified. When a data field has missing data, it renders a “Not Selected” result that appears on reports. A “Missing Data” query allows the Program Director to identify the missing data and return it to staff for correction.
Staff memos housed in each member’s account help identify which staff member was responsible for the data entry omission error because each staff memo includes the initials of the person responsible for creating the memo/corresponding action. “AutoMsg” is included on all system-generated memos.
Physical Review of Files
An average of 3% of renewals and 2% of new applications are reviewed by the Program Director for accuracy. Files are randomly selected through a ‘Quality Control’ report generator tool.
Staff Error Rate
Error rates are assessed regularly. The recommended rate of error is 10% or less. Total rates of error consistently exceeding 10% may result in additional training and more frequent and extensive reviews. Data entry issues and concerns are discussed with staff members and/or during staff meetings when necessary. Additional training is provided as needed.
Deletion of Digital Documents
A multi-step quality assurance process is in place to ensure the quality of uploaded images and completeness of a member’s application. All images are reviewed by a Registry Specialist as part of the document separation or document retrieval processes in the OnBase document management system. This review occurs after members have uploaded documents via their Online Portal account. Applicants are asked to re-submit low-quality documents and informed when additional documentation is required to complete their application. Quality uploaded documents are digitally archived indefinitely, even if the individual does not complete the application process to streamline the application process if/when they reinitiate in the future. Uploaded documents are only deleted when they are duplicates, of inadequate quality, contain sensitive/identifiable information, or are not applicable to the application process (e.g., driver’s license).