Spatial analysis of cancer data often requires identifying case records that were geocoded. Researchers and registry staff can use this code to select geocoded records and determine which records need to be reviewed and geocoded again. This code can also be used to determine inclusion/exclusion and potential for bias for geospatial analysis of cancer data.

Historically, Census Tract Certainty [369] and NAACCR GIS Coordinate Quality [366] codes have been used to determine geocoding quality. With the old NAACCR geocoder, we had additional codes, Geocoding Quality Code [86] and Geocoding Quality Detail [87], which provided more information on the geocoded data’s precision and accuracy. This data item, along with Geocoding Accuracy Score [331], are the new geocoder’s (Geocodio) version of quality measures. 

This measure is output as the Accuracy Type by the current geocoder and has been available since July 1, 2024. This code describes the precision of the geocoding match to the underlying street reference files. Additional resources on how to use the measure to identify high quality geocoded cases will be available on the GIS Resources page: https://www.naaccr.org/gis-resources/. This is intended to be used in conjunction with the Geocoding Accuracy Score [331] to assess geocoding quality.

With the switch to the new geocoder, we no longer have access to the more detailed, NAACCR designed quality measures (Geocoding Quality Code [86] and Geocoding Quality Detail [87]). However, it is crucial to reduce bias in geospatial analysis that we identify and improve the quality of the geocoded data in our registries.

This data item is an indicator of the level of precision of a geocoded result. It is not coded directly. This data item is generated by the Geocodio geocoding software. It is recommended that this data item is incorporated as is from Geocodio with no additional formatting. For additional information see:  https://www.naaccr.org/gis-resources/#1718042516172-895b9fd0-c634.

Codes are listed in order of level of precision, with rooftop being the most precise.