B737-700
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Procedure
B737-700's data block showed he was at FL230 with a clearance to descend to FL190; when I accepted the hand off from Sector 22. Shortly after; Conflict Alert activated; showing ERJ175 climbing to FL230 in direct confliction with B737-700. As it worked out; B737-700 was stopped above ERJ175; but the transferring Controller did not show it in the data block; nor did he/she call the receiving Controller. When B737-700 checked on my frequency; showing he had a clearance to FL190; the aircraft checked in level at FL230. I asked him to verify his assigned altitude and he verified he was level at FL230. This situation is a reoccurring event and must be addressed. The data block should always indicate what the aircraft is doing; per the 7110.65. If procedures are in place that makes this impossible; then procedures need to be changed. In this case; the transferring Controller should have called the receiving Controller. This habit of 'pre-loading' data blocks is unsafe and must be stopped.
ZBW Controller described an unsafe condition when traffic being transferred to his/her frequency contained inaccurate data block information activating a false 'Conflict Alert'.