The National Institute for Medical Statistics (ICMR-NIMS), part of The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and Population council, a global non-profit NGO focused on biomedical and social science research, have come together to introduce the National Data Quality Forum (NDQF). The NDQF has been developed as a national-level consolidated platform with the objective of enhancing the quality of health and demographic data. It aims to create significant discussions around the enhancement of data quality as a whole, focusing particularly on health and medical research.
The Functionality of the National Data Quality Forum
NDQF aspires to unite all key stakeholders, subject matter experts, industry leaders, decision makers, and data scientists/analysts in a singular space for discussions centered on the improvement of India’s data ecosystem’s quality. It will amalgamate learnings from scientific and evidence-based initiatives, directing actions through regular workshops and conferences. The actions undertaken by NDQF will aid in establishing protocols and best practices for data collection, storage, use, and sharing; these can be employed for health and demographic data and potentially replicated in other industries and sectors.
About the National Institute for Medical Statistics
NIMS is a standing institute of the Institutes of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), established in 1977 in New Delhi. The organization was formed with the mission to offer technical expertise on research methodology, programme evaluation, mathematical modeling, data analysis, and more. It is singularly distinguished as India’s only institute responsible for coordinating and standardizing the collection of medical and health statistics within the country.
Key Achievements of NIMS
| Achievements |
|---|
| Establishing India’s maiden Clinical Trials Registry, in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology and the World Health Organisation (WHO). |
| Executing the Integrated Behavioural and Biological Assessment on National Highways (IBBA-NH) among truck drivers for HIV epidemic in India. |
| Being recognized as the National Nodal Agency for the implementation of Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP)-Non-Communicable Disease ( IDSP- NCD) risk factor survey. |
The Role of the National Data Quality Forum in Enhancing Data Quality
NDQF is projected to be significantly influential in improving the quality of demographic and health data by encouraging discourse in this area. Additionally, it will serve as a platform for sharing best practices in data collection, storage, and use. Regular workshops and conferences led by NDQF will further guide action towards its goal. Implementing these processes unrestrictedly across other sectors and industries will undoubtedly bring along a wave of improvement to India’s data ecosystem overall, fostering a more reliable data culture based on scientific evidence and proven methodologies.
