- Published
- Updated
A green monitoring indicator may mean that new data have not arrived rather than that a site has no problems. A freshness review examines expected data production and delivery time alongside the last observed value. Its purpose is to distinguish an absence of activity from an incomplete data flow.
Scope of the decision
Not every source updates at the same rate. Visit records, laboratory results and vendor deliveries need separately described expectations. A freshness window is an operational assumption, not automatically a regulatory reporting deadline. Identify in advance which team investigates when the expected window is exceeded.
Worked review
Imagine that no new safety records have appeared from a site for two weeks. Visits are continuing, but a transfer file has stopped arriving. The team restores delivery and then examines records from the missing period. Treating the old low indicator as an observed event frequency would miss this distinction.
Practical checks
- Separate the last source activity date from the last successful delivery.
- Reconcile expected and received file counts over the same period.
- Give indicators with delayed data a visible freshness explanation.
Acceptance and limits
Use the indicator for decisions only when the data flow supporting its stated period can be explained. Assign an owner to review the missing period retrospectively. A corrected transfer that delivers new files does not by itself prove that every historical gap has been recovered.
Frequently asked questions
- Must every data flow update daily?
- No. Expected frequency should reflect its purpose, source activity and relevant risk.
- Should a delayed indicator be changed to zero?
- No. Missing information is not zero events. State the period represented by the available value and the remaining uncertainty.