How to populate death_datetime field when month, day, or time are not in source data

[assimilateDave]

Populating death_datetime when missing some source data elements

CDM or THEMIS convention?

THEMIS Issue - currently documented in the CDM webpage https://ohdsi.github.io/CommonDataModel/cdm54.html#death

Table or Field level?

death_datetime field

Is this a general convention?

No

Summary of issues

• Item is similar and related to the death_date fieldl see issue - https://github.com/orgs/OHDSI/projects/27/views/1?pane=issue&itemId=58744858
• Time, Day, month, and year are expected in the death_datetime field.
• Some source data may not have complete datestamp of the deceased persons death date. An approximation of that date should be used.
• This issue was discussed thoroughly and ratified and could be documented as a Themis convention instead of in the CDM since it may not be applicable to all use cases and data sources.

Summary of answer

• This directive is included in the CDM 5.4 on death_date. This could be incorporated for the Themis guidelines for death_datetime. The second bullet is the current CDM 5.4 directive for this field. The two should be combined for the death_datetime directive.
  • If the precise date include day or month is not known or not allowed, December is used as the default month, and the last day of the month the default day.
  • If not available set time to midnight (00:00:00)

Related links

• https://ohdsi.github.io/CommonDataModel/cdm54.html#death
• https://github.com/OHDSI/CommonDataModel/issues/210

Other comments/notes

[clairblacketer]

@MelaniePhilofsky this is another one where we are giving guidance on a field that is not required. I suggest we say instead in the CDM docs - "If you have date and time of death, populate death_datetime, otherwise leave as NULL"

[MelaniePhilofsky]

@clairblacketer Agree