Chapter 7 Concluding Remark

This brief primer covers a basic framework for appreciating and understanding data quality in birth defects surveillance, together with a few strategies to start examining and addressing data quality issues. The road to quality is long, but often, significant successes can be achieved within the first few steps. The key is to continue along the road, as quality can always be improved. The reward is a birth defects surveillance programme that is effective and efficient in supporting public health goals of improved and healthy lives for all children.