Title: Unlocking data to inform public health policy and practice: University of Sheffield
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: Background_x000D_ In England, many services that are paid for using taxpayers’ money are decided on and funded by local government such as Local Authorities (LAs) and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). LA’s are responsible for publicly funded social care (e.g. home-based services) and some public health services (e.g. sexual health services). CCG’s are responsible for funding most NHS services in local areas. All local decision makers aim to fund services which promote and protect health and prevent ill-health in their locality. At the same time, they want to provide ‘value for money’ for the taxpayers._x000D_ Such services and local decision makers often collect data to inform their processes. This data is used to support the services provided for individuals, but also for administrative reasons. This data could be used more often to help inform improvements to current services and funding of new services. This data could include potentially personal and sensitive information. As a result, it is important that such data is protected and only used or shared in circumstances when there is a clear and legal reason that would benefit the public. _x000D_ _x000D_ What do we hope to achieve?_x000D_ We hope to understand: _x000D_ - what data is available to local decision makers; _x000D_ - how they currently use it; _x000D_ - how data could be used and potentially shared with parties who want to use it to benefit the public. _x000D_ We hope to explain how to best use and share data legally with clear reasons for its use. An example would be to help local decision makers calculate which services are considered ‘value for money’ and which are not. We hope that this will allow local decision makers to make the best use of money available to them._x000D_ _x000D_ How do we intend to achieve it?_x000D_ We will first identify examples of when data has been used and legally shared to inform local decision making. We will then produce a detailed list of what data these local decision makers have available. These examples and data will then be discussed with people who work within the LAs and CCG - we have already identified people who are happy to be involved in our proposed project. This will allow us to further explore things to consider when using such data to inform local decision making. We will then explore and describe ways this data could be used to calculate what services are potentially providing ‘value for money’ when producing benefits for the public in local and regional areas. We will also explore and describe how the use of such information could be made more transparent and understandable for the public._x000D_ _x000D_ How long will this project take and what will we produce?_x000D_ We will complete the project within 10 months in line with the National Institute for Health Research request. We will produce a report and slide pack in collaboration with the Universities, LA’s, CCG’s, and PPI members of this research group. We will be share findings nationally through our existing relationships and the NIHR groups. _x000D_ _x000D_ Patient and the public involvement in the project_x000D_ A lay co-applicant has helped to develop the research proposal and will be involved throughout the duration of the project. We will set up a public advisory group to meet with the research team and share their views._x000D_ _x000D_ How will this research change health and social care?_x000D_ We believe that our research could start to change and improve how researchers and local decision makers use locally available data to decide which services to fund to benefit communities

Lay abstract: Background_x000D_ Routinely collected data is key to ensuring effective and responsive decision-making in Local Authorities’ (LAs’) commissioning of social care and some public health services, and in their collaborations with Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) as the commissioners of most NHS services. Both parties are obliged to consider the within and cross-sector ‘value for money’ aspect of their commissioning decisions, including opportunity costs of alternative options in terms of beneficial outcomes relative to their costs - such aspects can be accounted for within economic evaluation (EE) frameworks. When using routine data to inform such decision-making there is a need to: (1) identify the data required to inform the commissioning process; (2) account for legal and information governance frameworks for storing, using, and sharing data, alongside other barriers and facilitators; (3) establish evaluation frameworks to enable the data to be used in transparent and useful ways, aligned to the requirements of the commissioning process. _x000D_ _x000D_ Aim and work-packages (WPs)_x000D_ To delineate the availability and potential of routinely collected data to support commissioning decisions within and across sectors including LAs, CCGs, and Universities, in order to improve public health in local and regional settings. Through four WPs and by fostering networks and partnership activities between academic research and public health practice, our objectives are: _x000D_ WP1: Mapping review of use and linkage of routine data in local/regional settings for commissioning decisions informed by LAs in England;_x000D_ WP2: Metadata specification and pilot metadata catalogue through stakeholder consultation;_x000D_ WP3: Workshops with stakeholder groups to explore the requirements of routine data to inform commissioning;_x000D_ WP4: Economic evaluation methods to analyse and present estimates from routine data to inform commissioning._x000D_ _x000D_ Methods_x000D_ For WP1 we will search and then map the grey literature for examples of routine data being used to inform public health decision-making, used to inform WP2-WP4. In WP2, by working with key stakeholder representatives, we will develop a metadata specification and pilot metadata catalogue listing data assets from across all stakeholders with a focus on data and services associated with public health. Outputs from WP1&2 will inform WP3’s series of workshops with stakeholder groups to explore the requirements, use, barriers, and facilitators of routine data to inform commissioning processes. Building on WP1-3, WP4 will explore and describe how quantitative methods informed by routine data can be applied to improve both the relevance and scope of EE to inform local commissioning. WP3&4 will focus on cross-sector commissioning of services specific to falls prevention._x000D_ _x000D_ Timeline & outputs_x000D_ The project will be completed in 10 months. Outputs include: a report and slide deck; lay and technical executive summaries; metadata specification and pilot metadata catalogue; data extracts of the case studies._x000D_ _x000D_ Dissemination & anticipated impact_x000D_ Findings will be disseminated locally, regionally and nationally through our extensive networks. This will initiate more evidence-based commissioning decisions through utilisation of routine data, stimulating joint working across LAs, CCGs, and universities, with support from NIHR infrastructure, with learnings for national change leading to more efficient allocation of scarce resources benefitting public health.

Research activity codes: 8.1 ORGANISATION AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES
Health categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE