This article is intended to walk HMIS users through basic data quality checks related to HUD verification sub-assessments for income, disability, non-cash benefits, and insurance.
If you are looking for a step-by-step guide on how to record changes overtime (not specifically correcting errors), please refer to our ZenGuide: Updating HUD Verification Sub-Assessments
Common Types of Errors
Missing Gateway Response
The "gateway" data element is the Yes/No drop down question immediately above the HUD Verification sub-assessment table. If this data element is skipped for disability, insurance, income or non-cash benefit, an error flag will occur.
Missing HUD Verification Response
Disability, Income, Insurance, and Non-Cash Benefits are all two part questions. The first part is the "gateway" response. The second part is the HUD Verifications for that item. The HUD Verification sub-assessment are a series of specific types of disabilities/insurance types/income or non-cash benefit sources for which HUD expects the project to verify with the client if they do or do not each of those items within the sub-assessment.
Look for the blue HUD Verification button. If there is green check mark is present, that means each sub-assessment option has an answer. If there is a red triangle, there is at least one assessment option without a response. There must always be a green check mark!
Incongruent Responses
Incongruent responses occur when both the gateway response and the HUD Verification sub-assessment are complete but they contradict one another. For example, the gateway response says "No" but one of the options within the HUD Verification sub-assessment is marked "Yes" or the gateway response says "Yes" but the whole HUD Verification sub-assessment is marked "No".
Follow Up Question Missing (disability only)
For the disability sub-assessment only, disability types that are marked as "Yes" have a required follow-up question that must have a response. Without this response, the sub-assessment is incomplete.
One HUD Verification type with two+ responses
Per HUD, each option on the sub-assessment table should have ONE active response, per calendar day, while the client is enrolled in the program. If a client has a sub-assessment source type option (i.e. "earned income") with multiple records without end dates, it is assumed that each of those client unended responses are still true, active, and valid.
It is impossible for a client to have two answers for the same option, during the same time period.
In the image above, the client has an unended "NO EARNED INCOME" record and an unended "$1600 OF EARNED INCOME" record. Right now, this is say that the client simultaneously has and does not have Earned Income. Only one Earned Income response is allowable for each calendar day.
Client Doesn't know or Client Refused
If any data element is marked as "Client Doesn't Know" or "Client Refused" (DKR), it does not mean the answer is wrong; it means that confirmation is needed to verify this was truly the client's response and not a user data entry error.
Data Not Collected
If any data element is marked "Data Not Collected" (DNC), this is an error. DNC responses are basically the same thing as a missing response. (the only exception would be for street outreach clients enrolled in the project who do not yet have a date of engagement recorded during that project stay).
Data Quality - Error Identification
There are a few basic first steps to follow in order to quickly identify the most common data quality errors related to HUD Verification Sub-assessments.
- Is the gateway question filled out?
- Is the HUD verification have all options selected (basically, you want a green check mark to show)?
- Does the HUD verification table match my gateway question (if yes, then is at least one item marked yes on the table)?
- FOR DISABILITY ONLY: If there are any "yes" answers in the HUD table, do they each have the follow up question answered?
Once the error is identified, steps can be taken to correct it!
Let's Get to Correcting!
Missing Gateway Response
After confirming the Enter Data As and Back Date Mode are set correctly, change the gateway question to the correct Yes or No response shared by the client.
Missing HUD Verification Response
After confirming the Enter Data As and Back Date Mode are set correctly, there are recommended steps for review and correcting missing HUD Verification Responses:
Step One: Identify the Missing items
Click on the HUD Verification Button to review which source item is incomplete.
Step Two: Select the appropriate response for the Missing item
Click the radio dial button to select the appropriate response for the source item which is incomplete. Save & Exit.
Incongruent Responses
After confirming the Enter Data As and Back Date Mode are set correctly, follow the below two steps.
Step One: Confirm the Incongruent Response
The first step is to assess what data is currently appearing in the system. This will help determine what next steps are needed.
Review the gateway (yes/no) response. Review the Total Monthly Income textbox (for income errors only). Then click on the HUD Verification Button to review the current valid responses for this assessment (do not change anything yet!). Begin to consider a few things:
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- Is the gateway question "no" but there is an income listed in the total monthly income box &/of the HUD Verification table show a "yes" response?
- Are their clues in other HUD verification tables such as income is yes with Earned Income listed as yes but the Health Insurance table shows an incomplete answer for Employer Based Insurance?
- Is your client still in services that you can confirm the data directly with the client?
- Do you have access to other records, such as paper files, to verify the data?
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Step Two: Make Corrections
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- If the gateway response is inaccurate, simply update the gateway (yes/no) answer & save the assessment.
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- If the HUD Verifications are inaccurate, click on the HUD Verification button to update the HUD Verification table to reflect what the client reported at the time of the assessment. If needed, refer to the following ZenGuide for step-by-step instructions on how to properly record updates: Updating HUD Verification Sub-Assessments.
One HUD Verification type with two+ responses
After confirming the Enter Data As and Back Date Mode are set correctly, there are recommended steps for review and correcting incongruent responses where there are overlapping HUD Verification answers for the same item:
Step One: Confirm the Incongruent Response
The first step is to assess what data is currently appearing in the system. This will help determine what next steps are needed.
Review the gateway (yes/no) response. Review the Total Monthly Income textbox (for income errors only). Then click on the HUD Verification Button to review the current valid responses for this assessment (do not change anything yet!). Begin to consider a few things:
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- Is the gateway question "no" but there is an income listed in the total monthly income box &/of the HUD Verification table show a "yes" response?
- Are their clues in other HUD verification tables? Such as income is yes with Earned Income listed as yes but the Health Insurance table shows an incomplete answer for Employer Based Insurance?
- Is your client still in services that you can confirm the data directly with the client?
- Do you have access to other records, such as paper files, to verify the data?
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If the gateway response is inaccurate, simply update the gateway (yes/no) answer & save the assessment. If the gateway response is accurate, more steps are required for correction!
Step Two: Assess for Historical Errors
Now that the incongruity is confirmed and it is determined not to be an issue with the gateway question, click the magnifying glass next to the table header.
By clicking on the magnifying glass, a pop up window will open with the client's complete history of all responses to each source type over the client's entire HMIS recorded history. To make it easier to read and review, click on the column header "[Source] Type" to alphabetize the table.
Review each source type row for accuracy. There should be one answer per calendar day for each source type record during the client's entire project stay. If there are overlapping responses for the same item during the same time period, an end date (AND ONLY AN END DATE!) should be added to outdated/old record. The end date should be one day before the other record's start date.
*Image below is an example of how it should appear when client's answer changes over time. In this example, there is still only one valid answer per calendar day per source type item.
Step Three: Confirm Accuracy
Once any historical answers have been corrected, click on the HUD Verification Button once again to confirm the HUD Verification table now reflects the correct client responses and to confirm there is no longer an incongruent response with the gateway question.
If there were no historical corrections made, click on the HUD Verification button once again in order to properly update the HUD Verification table to reflect what the client reported at the time of the assessment. If needed, refer to the following ZenGuide for step-by-step instructions on how to properly record updates: Updating HUD Verification Sub-Assessments.
Follow Up Question Missing (Disability only)
After confirming the Enter Data As and Back Date Mode are set correctly, select the appropriate response for the follow-up question, "If yes, expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration...".
IMPORTANT NOTE: HUD's definition of disability must be met in order for the client to have the gateway response marked "yes". In order for the gateway response to be marked "yes", at least one of the client self-identified disabilities must also be marked as long-continued and indefinite duration, impacting housing.
Example #1: A client is an amputee. The Physical Health is yes, the follow up question for long-term condition is yes, and the gateway question is yes.
Example #2: A client has asthma but says it is not a condition that imposes housing barriers. The Chronic Health condition is yes, the follow up question is no, and the gateway question is NO.
Client Doesn't know or Client Refused
There may not be a need for any correction so long as the response matches what the client shared with the project.
Data Not Collected
After confirming the Enter Data As and Back Date Mode are set correctly, select the appropriate response for the data element. If the data truly was not collected, there is not supplemental records to support a response (i.e. paper documentation), or the client is no longer available to provide a response, please reach out to the Data Center. Questions on assessments are those that are required by HUD &/or the CoC; projects should make every effort to at least ask the questions, even if the client doesn't know or refuses.
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