Intro to HIT, Mod 5 Assn 3 Data Dictionary

Flechler 1
A data dictionary is used to help support and manage data elements within
an electronic health record. A data dictionary is a listing of all the data elements
within a specific system that defines each individual data element, standard input of
the data element, and specific data length (Sayles, 2016). Some of the common
data elements within a data dictionary are data field (such as date of birth),
definition, data type (date, text, number, etc.), format (such as MM-DD-YYYY), field
size (such as 10 digits for phone numbers), data values (such as M and F for
gender), data source (where data is collected), data first encountered (when the
data element is first used), and why item is included (justification for collection of
the data element) (Sayles, 2016).
The specific data element I will be using as an example is demographics. To
create a data dictionary, YouTube user Brandon The Crab explains that you you
would first want to set up your basic chart format (2014). For demographics, we will
create a chart format including the Field Name, Field Size, Data Type, Data Format,
Description, and an Example as seen below:
Field
Name

Field Size

Data Type

Data
Format

Description

Example

To begin our data dictionary, we will start with a patients name. I will use
myself as an example. In our data dictionary, we want to indicate what the Field
Name will be called, in this case it is First Name. For Field Size, you will want to
select a large enough number of characters to encompass long names. For Data
Type, you will want to indicate the type of data that will be entered in this field.
Generally names only include letters and occasionally punctuation so the best type
would be text. For names, there generally is no specific data format so this field
can either be left blank or a line can be entered through it. For Description, you will

Intro to HIT, Mod 5 Assn 3 Data Dictionary

Flechler 2
want to include a brief description of what exactly you will be entering in this field.
For Example, you will want to enter a general and easily understood example.
Field
Name
First
Name

Field Size

Data Type

20

Text

Data
Format
------------------

Description

Example

First name of the

patient

Jeni

You should continue to build your data dictionary in the same manner until all
of the relevant information that is or could be needed is available. A more complete
example is below:
Field
Name
First
Name
Last
Name
Date of
Birth
Gender
Address

Field Size

Data Type

20

Text

20

Text

10

Date/Time

1
30

Boolean
Text

Patient ID

Text

Data
Format
----------------------------------MM/DD/CC
CC
L
----------------LLLNNNNN

Description

Example

First name of the

patient
Last name of the
patient
Date of Birth of
the patient
Gender of patient
Address of the
patient
Unique Patient ID
of the patient

Jeni
Flechler
06/15/1983
F
1234 Fake
St
FLE12345

Works Cited
Crab, B. T. (2014, June 4). How to create a Data Dictionary. Retrieved September 24,
2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeVJy-ow2b0
Sayles, L. G. (2016). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied
Approach. Chicago, IL: American Health Information Management
Association.