Information Sets:

 

In the context of health and social care a dataset (or information set) is a set of data items that support a specific purpose. IMHIP have developed two datasets with the support of two multidisciplinary working groups in collaboration with the National Clinical Dataset Development Programme (NCDDP).

These are:

1] An encounter and intervention record for community specialist mental health teams. 

• The Information Core for Integrated Care (ICIC)

2] An Information bundle to support transitions in care.

• The Psychiatric Inpatient Clinical Discharge Summary (PIC-DSIS)

Consultation on Data Standards

Both the Information Core for Integrated Care and the Psychiatric Inpatient Clinical Discharge Summary were issued for formal consultation in collaboration with the National Clinical Dataset Development Programme for a 3-month period in February this year.   The consultation closed on 28^th April 2006 and all 41 responses were collated. Both datasets were approved as national standards for use in mental health by the National Clinical Dataset Development Programme (NCDDP) at their board meeting on 15th September 2006. The datasets are now published in the Health and Social Care Data Dictionary: www.datadictionary.scot.nhs.uk

Test Implementation

The objectives of test implementation were:

• To identify and reduce barriers to the collection of the data standards
• To facilitate information sharing
• To improve information mindedness and support joined up working
• To provide community information currently in deficit
• To determine the usefulness of the data at national and local level
• To assess whether the data standards were fit for purpose and sufficiently robust for rollout across Scotland

Three Health Board areas took part in test implementation. These were:

• Borders
• Forth Valley
• Lothian

Evaluation reports are now available from the projects to test the suitability of the ICIC and PIC DSIS datasets:

ICIC Report    1.03mb
ICIC Executive Summary   53.7kb

PIC-DSIS Report   606kb
PIC DSIS Executive Summary  61.5kb

Key conclusion: Right data; information systems need to improve

The key finding from both projects is that the content of the data standards in each case was felt to be broadly correct. A few recommendations were made for small changes and these are being considered. However services felt that tehy are unableto collect the data without improvements in their current information systems to reduce the time spent on data imput.

Our findings have been passed to those considering procurement options for future IT systems to support mental health services.