Electronic Data Processing, Analysis, and Reporting for Public Health Surveys Using Epi Info

1. Electronic Data Processing, Analysis, and Reporting for Public Health Surveys Using Epi Info Alison Smith, MPH Global AIDS Program, CDC

2. Epi Info • Public-domain software package designed for public health applications • Used by countless practitioners and researchers around the world • FREE and available for download • Original DOS version released in 1986 • Windows version first released in 2001 • Latest version 3.5.1, released in 2008

3. Epi 6 vs. Epi Windows

5. Components • Menu – design of menus for integrating operations • MakeView – design data entry screens • Enter – enter data • Analysis – manage and analyze data • Epi Map – show data on maps • Report Generator – generates reports consisting of tables, lists and analysis results • Utilities (compact DB, encryption) • Data Compare (double data entry) • Statcalc (sample size calculations)

6. Analyzing Data with Epi Info • Data can be in any of over 20 data formats • Access, dBASE, Excel, Epi 6, FoxPro, SAS, etc. • Can do both basic and advanced analysis (linear and logistic regression, complex samples, survival and Cox proportional hazards) • Results are produced as HTML and XML files • Can generate graphs (including histograms and box-whisker charts) • Can generate maps

7. Advantages • Quick development of menu-based system for data entry, analysis, and reporting • Basic and advanced statistical epidemiological procedures • Compatibility with other tools • Capability of supporting rich data models (relational DB)

8. Disadvantages • Unavailability of trained personnel • No handheld support • No security model

9. How does it compare? • QDS • Well-developed survey administration and data collection • Less intuitive specification of skip patterns and checks • Weak relational capability • No analytic tools (by design) • MS Access • More capable interface development (but more complicated) • Better report generator • Requires more training and experience before proficiency • Weak analytic tools

10. Epi Info is… • One of a number of surveillance trainings available from CDC Global AIDS Program HQ • Course is titled “Electronic Data Processing, Analysis, and Reporting for Public Health Surveys using Epi Info”

11. Course Overview Five day, 12-unit course designed to provide basic technical skills in Data processing Analysis Report writing Ultimately for the purpose of producing epidemiologic reports at the regional and national level

12. Overview cont. • Uses Antenatal Clinic (ANC) HIV sentinel surveillance (SS) as an example • Participants engage in the planning and implementation of an HIV SS round in a fictitious country called Suri • Course introduces best-practice techniques for systematically collecting, managing, processing, and reporting HIV data from ANCs

13. Objectives • By the end of the course, participants are able to • Design easy-to-use data collection and electronic data-entry forms • Develop simple and complex check code to validate data entry • Oversee and perform data entry • Develop and document data cleaning and database storage strategies

14. Objectives cont. • Conduct simple exploratory analysis for data cleaning purposes • Clean and prepare data for analysis • Perform simple and complex descriptive analyses • Develop clear and concise national and regional reports

15. Requirements • Familiarity with Epi Info not a prerequisite – starts with basic concepts and ends with intermediate-level concepts • Host office is responsible for funding two trainers and all materials, and must make all arrangements (training space, computer set up, etc.)

16. Useful Information • Download and install the latest version of Epi Info [for Windows] at www.cdc.gov/epiinfo/ • Helpline epiinfo@cdc.gov • Epi Info Web Board http://epiinfo.forum.cdc.gov/ • Manual and training exercises available online

17. Contact Information • For information on the course Electronic Data Processing, Analysis, and Reporting for Public Health Surveys Using Epi Info,email cfq2@cdc.gov • For information on other surveillance trainings available email sjp5@cdc.gov

18. Additional Slides

19. MakeView • Data entry screen can be created and formatted to suit specific needs for a survey • Type • Text • Label • Date • Number • Yes/No • Others… • Can create skip patterns and check code for validation of data entry and reduction of errors

20. Data Boundaries • Number of characters in a text field = 128 • Number of characters in a multiline field = 2 GB • Number of fields per table = 255 (but limitless in a view) • Number of tables in a Project (.mdb) file = limited to disk space • Number of records in a data table = limited to disk space

21. Enter Data • Entering data is straightforward and simple with basic training and familiarity with survey tool • Can easily skip around among records • Find function helps easily locate records using search criteria

22. How does it compare? (2) • Survey Monkey • Weak survey administration and data collection • No analytic capabilities (by design) • Data ownership issues • Epi Handy • Less-developed survey administration and data collection • Limited data model • No analytic capabilities (by design)

23. Epi Info Basics • Used by countless public health professionals around the world • Used on Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP, and Vista operating systems