Knowledge base for non-NHS audience launched

The NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) has launched a public version of its Clinical and Health Outcomes Knowledge Base site, previously only available internally over an NHS connection.

The site, run by the National Centre for Health Outcomes Development (NCHOD), a joint venture between Oxford University and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, has had its 500 indicators across 700 NHS trusts stripped of all patient-identifiable information.

Dr Azim Lakhani, director of NCHOD, said that the data in the Knowledge Base would now be available for non-NHS readers and would prove useful for several organisations: "For example, a local authority may have a health problem in a deprived population. It can now look at results for another area with a similar profile where health is better.

"From that, they may judge whether it’s perhaps not just deprivation, but some other factor which may be responsible for the health problem and they can use that information to improve health care."

Other organisations that Lahkani argues will find the free site useful are universities, government departments and research institutions.

Dr John Fox, director of customer and stakeholder management at HSCIC added: "This is a major step forward in making information more accessible to the public, regulators, health and social care professionals and policy makers, leading to improvements in knowledge and efficiency."

Currently the patient data in the public database has been completely stripped out. According to announcements on the site, this is a precautionary measure while disclosure rules are being organised.

Lakhani said: "Our ultimate aim is for this information to be used to save lives and improve health across the country. It’s only when problems are highlighted that something can be done about them – sometimes specific areas don’t even know there is a problem, but we can help them identify particular issues."

The Clinical and Health Outcomes Knowledge Base features a compendium of indicators, both finalised and in development, and links to a great many journal articles and patient-assessed healthcare publications. The site is live at www.nchod.nhs.uk.