Perils of falling out of bed

The news headlines say that 20,800 people were admitted to hospital last year as a result of falls involving a bed. Read the facts behind the story - the Hospital Episode Statistics - at the NHS Information Centre’s website.

alls are no joke. Knowing the extent of the problem is the first step to reducing it.

Sign up to NHS iView

A potentially useful way to get hold of raw NHS data is through the NHS Information Centre’s iView service. I say potentially because most of the data - nine of the current 11 sets -  is restricted to people who have an NHS email address. I’m not sure why that should apply, for example, to annual data on estates and facilities. Perhaps more worrying are the terms and conditions, some of which don’t seem to be in the spirit of open data. For example: “You must not: Systematically download and/or archive materials…”.
The NHS Information Centre also “reserves the right to undertake an audit to ensure that all terms and conditions are being abided by”.

Performance data victory in Israel

The BMJ reports that Israeli freedom of information campaigners have won a court battle to compel the country’s four health maintenance organisations to release performance data. The health ministry had argued that the public might be “confused and misled” by such data.

Publish your raw data, researchers told

A forthright editorial in the British Medical Journal advises the medical research community to get used to publishing raw data. “Once medical researchers start publishing their data, and depositing it in data archives, they will discover not only that it is painless, but that it affords huge advantages to medical science, and to patients present and future.”

Decision on late abortion statistics

The High Court has ruled that the Department of Health must release full breakdowns of data on late abortions even a risk exists that individuals could be identified from very small samples. The ruling backs up a decision taken by the Information Rights Tribunal in October 2009. That decision is here: http://www.informationtribunal.gov.uk/DBFiles/Decision/i344/DOH%20v%20IC%20and%20PLA%20(EA-2008-0074)%20Decision%2015-10-09%20(w).pdf

Prescription cost analysis data

This data set from the NHS Information Centre usually makes headlines for what it reveals (or fails to reveal) about trends in doctors’ prescribing habits. But, as the Guardian’s Ben Goldacre pointed out this week, some journalistic analysis can be misleading. 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/apr/09/ben-goldacre-bad-science-antidepressants

Government considers publishing prescribing data

The government is considering publishing “practice-level” data on how GPs prescribe drugs, the website E-Health Insider reports. The idea appears in the Treasury’s Plan for Growth Document. 

Variation in GP practice

A link to the raw data behind the Kings Fund Inquiry into the Quality of General Practice in England. http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/current_projects/gp_inquiry/index.html
Data from the GP Practice Index published by Dr Foster Intelligence.

Heart surgeons call for more public data

The specialist website E-Health Insider reports that the Society for Thoracic Surgery has accused the NHS of dragging its feet in supplying patients with reliable, independent and accessible information.

Reusing anonymised data: is it legal?

A paper strongly questioning the legality of current arrangements under which data from NHS records is made available for research and other purposes outside immediate care.

Neighbourhood statistics

From the 2001 census - search by postcode for official statistics on health, life expectancy, hospital episodes, healthy lifestyle behaviours (sic) and provision of unpaid care. A useful reminder of why it’s important to complete the census this time round.

Hospital report cards

A spreadsheet of the data behind the annual Hospital Guide published by Dr Foster health. Copyright notice says the data “may be referenced or quoted (but not for commercial purpose) as long as copyright is acknowledged”.

Social care data

Resources from the National Adult Social Care Intelligence Service. Latest release: abuse of vulnerable adults data.

Dr Foster founder calls for more openness

Tim Kelsey, founder of the company Dr Foster Intelligence and now employed by McKinsey & Company, told the Healthcare Innovation Expo that there is now “a very viable evidence base” showing that medical care improves when information such as death rates becomes available to patients. He also dismissed concerns about identifying individuals from anonymised data.

NHS waiting times - the truth?

In a data briefing feature in the British Medical Journal, health economist John Appleby of the King’s Fund examines current trends in NHS waiting times. At the moment, the conclusion is “a mixed picture” - though he predicts “some more consistent trends” as budgets are squeezed in the next financial year. The article references are an excellent guide to raw data.

Opinons on London NHS services

What do Londoners think of their local NHS services?  One of several interesting data sets available through the pioneering London Datastore.
NB the comment on the opening page. The raw data are there, but as a spreadsheet.

Health maps - a fascinating US example

A lengthy feature in the New Yorker examines the potential of data mapping to improve healthcare.

Chief executive leaves Dr Foster Intelligence

Dr Foster Intelligence, a public-private venture that has been the source of controversy in open data circles (and is now up for sale) has lost its chief executive, the website E-Health Insider reports.

GP commissioning consortia map

On The Guardian’s data blog - a map of the first wave of GP commissioning consortia set up under the NHS reforms in England.

US drug import refusals

Month by month data from the US FDA of products that have been refused import licences, naming manufacturers and countries of origin. Food as well as drugs (it appears that on 11 January a consignment of HP Sauce was refused admission to the US).

Obesity statistics

Latest statistics on obesity, physical activity and diet (for England) from the NHS Information Centre. Data available as spreadsheet.

French health data

Access to national, regional and local data on health services in France, 1950-2010; also comparative data from the OECD.

French health data

Access to national, regional and local data on health services in France, 1950-2010; also comparative data from the OECD.

Doctors' concerns about confidentiality

The British Medical Association, the doctors’ trade union and professional body, has expressed serious concerns about what is says is the lack of rules on the sharing of patient information in the Health and Social Care Bill.

Open access medical research

BMJ Open is an online-only, open access general medical journal, dedicated to publishing medical research from all disciplines and therapeutic areas. The journal publishes all research study types, from study protocols to phase I trials to meta-analyses, including small or potentially low-impact studies. Publishing procedures are built around fully open peer review and continuous publication, publishing research online as soon as the article is ready.

Hospital patient outcomes

New information on hospital patient outcomes with first summary of linked deaths data.

Hospital guide

The 2010 hospital guide (published as a pdf by Dr Foster Health) covers deaths in hospital, stroke, orthopaedic care, urological care and the recording of safety incidents, particularly blood clots.

Information Centre updates

Register here for the NHS Information Centre’s monthly e-bulletin. The NHS Information Centre is England’s central source of health and social care information - it releases more than 120 official statistics every year.

Care Quality Commission spending

Details (in the government-recommended csv format) of expenditure over £25,000 and other material about how the CQC works.

Care Quality Commission directory of services

The commission regulates care provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies and voluntary organisations and publishes a directory of NHS services.