How do I check my PATH project's data quality?
Date Created: June 9, 2026
What this is
This article will guide you on what data checkers to use to review your project's data quality and how to address any issues or missing data. Missing or incorrect data elements misrepresent outcomes and cause reporting errors.
What you need to know
This article is specifically for project funded by the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH), a federal program offering services for people with serious mental illness experiencing homelessness.
Follow these steps
For PATH projects, we recommend you use the following data checkers to review your data quality. For best results, we also recommend you run the following data checkers in a certain order.
First Stop Data Checkers - The checkers in this folder are where you should start.
- Run the Current Client Roster to confirm the right clients are enrolled in your project. If needed, you can exit clients from their enrollment within the data checker.
- Next, run the Common Data Checker to find any missing common information for your clients. This includes data in your client's HMIS profile and one-time questions, such as disabling condition, prior residence, etc.
- Next, the Assessment Data Checker will help you review additional data elements, such as health insurance, income, etc.
Tip: Since HMIS data quality does not begin until the Date of Engagement for PATH projects, you can use the Show Only Enrollments with a Date of Engagement button to filter you client list further.
Other Data Checkers - These data checkers can be used in any order.
- Service-Enrollment Linkage - This checker shows a list of services that are not linked to an enrollment or linked to the wrong enrollment. If needed, you can update the enrollment linked to the service from the data checker. If a service is not linked to the client's PATH enrollment, it will not count in the PATH report.
Program Specific Data Checkers - The following data checkers are specific to a grant and it's program specific data elements. We recommend using this data checker after you have gone through the First Stop and Other Data Checkers above.
- PATH - This checker looks at PATH specific data elements. You can enter or edit information as well as add services and referrals right from the data checker.
The PATH data checker is based on the Annual PATH report so services and referrals will not display in the data checker unless your client is PATH enrolled. PATH enrolled means they have a date of engagement, a date of PATH status and their PATH status is "Yes".
Instructions for how use the data checker filters and review errors and make corrections is found on the data checker launch page in HMIS. For a overview on how to use data checkers, read How do I use Data Checkers?