1. Two key elements
1.1. 1. Health informatics
1.1.1. Collection and collation of data
1.1.2. interested in any data source that provides health or health related information.
1.1.3. Demography Data
1.1.3.1. statistical data about populations and reports on issues such as fertility, morbidity and mortality and how these are distributed by age, sex, socioeconomic and geographical determinants
1.1.3.2. 1. Vital Registration Data (GRO)
1.1.3.2.1. Total births and deaths per year plus registered cause of death - all by postcode
1.1.3.2.2. used to estimate potential future populations
1.1.3.2.3. Mortality
1.1.3.3. 2. Census
1.1.3.3.1. Demographics, socioeconomic factors, self reported limiting longstanding illness all by postcode
1.1.3.3.2. The census is a UK wide survey of the total population that is conducted every 10 years.
1.1.3.3.3. is only carried out every ten years there is a need to estimate the population numbers in the years between.
1.1.3.4. GRO vs census ( Strengths and weaknesses
1.1.3.5. Migration is the hardest to assess and as time moves away from a census the estimates become less valid.
1.1.4. Healthcare Activity Data
1.1.4.1. provision of healthcare generates a range of data that is useful in understanding how healthcare services and used
1.1.5. Lifestyle/Public Health Data
1.1.5.1. Scottish Health Survey is an example of a lifestyle/public health data
1.1.6. Population Estimates and Projections
1.1.6.1. Estimates = The size of the population is estimated on an annual basis, using 30th June (mid-year) as a reference point.
1.1.6.1.1. Estimates: - Need to estimate populations between the census - Registration data used to update census stats - Need to consider impact of migration
1.1.6.2. Projection = A projection is a calculation that shows what happens to a population under certain assumptions about fertility, mortality and migration.
1.1.6.2.1. Projections - Trends based on assumptions on birth rate, death rate and migration
1.2. 2. Health intelligence
1.2.1. The interpretation and use of information to inform service provision
1.2.2. concerned with the interpretation of raw data into something more meaningful in terms of trend analysis.
1.2.3. Data are shared, in accordance with legal, regulatory and professional guidance, at a local and/or national level to inform the continuous quality improvement and future development of public health services.
1.2.4. analysis can then uncover what has influenced these changes
1.2.5. helpful in making planning decisions about future services. Part of this interpretation is the critical review of the available data
1.2.5.1. what the strengths and weaknesses of such data are and how these affect the accuracy of conclusions and predictions based on the data.
2. Health Needs Assesment
2.1. ‘The systematic approach to ensuring that the health service uses its resources to improve the health of the population in the most efficient way’ (Wright 1998)
2.2. Process by which the health needs of the ‘population’ can be determined and prioritised to inform decisions on the provision of services
2.3. WHY?
2.3.1. Limited resources, need to be targeted for best use to maximise health gain
2.3.2. Purpose is to gather the information required to bring about change beneficial to the health of the population’ Ref: Stevens, A. and Gillam
3. Definition: The continuous, systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health-related data needed for the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health practice - ref: WHO
4. Aim is to describe the health of the population using descriptive epidemiology
4.1. Characteristics of person, place and time
4.2. informs service provision and allow health changes to be quantfied
5. Achieving Health Gain
5.1. Stevens (1998) proposes four ways in which reallocating resources can bring about health gain:
6. Need = Ability to Benefit
6.1. Stevens puts forward four points that help us contextualise benefit:
7. Morbidity (illness)
7.1. o Hospital Admissions and Discharges o Specialist Services o Registers of disease
7.1.1. Hospital Data Sources
7.1.2. Local Primary Care Data Sources
7.1.3. Prescribing Data