What is the purpose of lag-time reports?

• A. To measure data accuracy
• B. To measure data completeness
• C. To measure timeliness
• D. To measure data entry speed

Answer: (C)

Lag-time reports focus on the delay between when a clinical event happens and when that event is available in the system or reports. This directly measures timeliness, showing how current the data is for decision making and surveillance. If the lag is long, data isn’t up-to-date, which can slow care coordination and monitoring. For example, tracking the time from diagnosis or pathology to data entry in a cancer registry helps ensure timely reporting. These reports don’t assess data accuracy (correctness of values) or completeness (whether all fields are filled), nor do they measure how fast someone enters data.