SDHI Past Conferences

Exploiting Existing Data for Health Research

International Conference, 17-19 September 2009
Training Workshop, 12-16 September 2009
University of St Andrews

1. The value of record linkage in health research
2. Record linkage for health care improvement
3. Longitudinal record linkage
4. The methodological challenges of record linkage
5. Confidentiality, disclosure and ethical issues

The 5-day training workshop which preceded the conference (12th to 16th
September 2009) also included five themes:

1. Using linkable registry data in health services research
2. Measuring health services utilisation
3. Characterising clinical populations using linkable registry data
4. Evaluating health services outcome
5. Theory and practice of risk adjustment in health services research

Enhancing Self Care - Helping People to Help Themselves

Conference 15 - 17 September 2008
Lower College Hall, University of St Andrews

The promotion of self care and self management is central to health policy in many countries. This 3 day inter-disciplinary
conference brought together leading international researchers, practitioners and policy makers. The conference facilitated
exchange of information about research findings and practice innovations, and stimulated discussion about their implications
for health care provision and priorities for future research.

Topics included: developing and evaluating interventions to support self care; the relationship between self care research and
practice; self care among disadvantaged groups; the roles of formal health services and the voluntary sector; and ethical
issues in support for self care.

Speakers Included:

Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing

Audrey Birt, Director, Diabetes UK, Scotland; Chair, Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland

Huw Davies, Director of Knowledge Mobilisation, NIHR SDO Programme

Ann-Louise Kinmonth, Professor and Head of Primary Care Research Unit, University of Cambridge

David Reilly, Consultant Physician, Centre for Integrative Care and Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital

Mary Wells, Lecturer, Cancer and Palliative Care; former Head of Maggie's Centre, Dundee

Stewart Mercer, Programme Lead: Living well with multiple morbidity, University of Glasgow

Exploiting Existing Data For Health Research

18th to 20th September 2007

There is a growing recognition of the value of linking routine administrative data for health research, evidenced by the increasing
number of bespoke projects and larger general purpose studies. This 3-day inter-disciplinary conference will gather together an
international group of researchers who have expertise in the linkage of administrative or routine data for health research or
health care improvement.

We invite abstracts to be submitted by Thursday 31 May 2007 on one of five themes:

1. The value of record linkage in health research

The use of linked data is commonplace in health research. This theme will include papers based on one-off and general-purpose
studies which demonstrate the range of research benefits that result from record linkage.

2. Record linkage for health care improvement

Linked datasets are also vital to the improvement of health care services. This theme will include papers covering a range of themes
including linkage to support health surveillance, health needs assessment, patient safety and quality improvement activities,
performance assessment and accountability.

3. Longitudinal record linkage

Of particular research value are longitudinal studies which track information about individuals or organisations through time, providing
the opportunity to examine how different characteristics influence one another sequentially. This session will include papers that
address the particular strengths of longitudinal data collection.

4. The methodological challenges of record linkage

This theme will include papers on state-of-the-art techniques for record linkage. Techniques might include methods for record linkage,
disclosure control, data management and analysis of linked data.

5. Confidentiality, disclosure and ethical issues

The linkage of potentially sensitive data for health research and health care improvement raises various ethical issues. This theme will
include papers that evaluate, for example, the public perception of record linkage, or advance the debate about balancing people’s right
to privacy and the public benefits of linked data for health research.

Those interested in presenting a paper at the conference should submit an abstract of no more than one page via email to
dataconf@dundee.ac.uk

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

Abstracts

The closing date for abstracts is Thursday 31 May 2007.

You will be informed by Friday 22 June 2007 if your abstract has been accepted.

Conference Programme

A final copy of the conference progamme is now available here.

Registration

To register please complete the registration download the form here and return as soon as possible. Registration for the conference will
close on Friday 17 August 2007.

Accepted abstracts will only be included in the programme if the presenter is registered by this date

To pay your registration fees by credit card please click here. Select 'Conferences' (at top of page) and on the next page select 'Exploiting Existing Data for Health Research' (at the bottom of page) and follow instructions.

Accommodation

You are responsible for booking your own accommodation. St Andrews has a wide range of accommodation to suit every budget; for
further information log on to www.stayinstandrews.co.uk. Reasonably central hotel accommodation can be found at the Russacks Hotel
and there are a number of places offering Bed & Breakfast on Murray Place in St Andrews.

Support for Self Care: An Update

Monday 30th April 2007

This one day conference featured presentations from five leading speakers with plenty of opportunity for open discussion and
debate. It offered an opportunity to 'update' on recent research evidence, to learn about current developments relating to support
for self care, and to discuss key issues with policy makers, practitioners and researchers.

Supporting Self-Care: What Works?
Angela Coulter, Chief Executive, The Picker Institute

Supporting Self Care: What Can Organisations Do?
Debbie Singh, Author "Transforming Chronic Care" and Senior Associate, Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham

Supporting Self-Care in "Hard To Reach" Groups
Dawn Wilkinson, Centre for Outcome Research & Effectiveness, University College London

The Nursing, Midwifery & Health Visiting Contribution to Chronic Disease Management
Sally Kendal, Director of the Centre for Research in Primary & Community Care, University of Hertfordshire

Responding to the Epidemic of Chronic Disease - An International Comparison
Ellen Nolte, European Observatory on Health Systems And Policies, LSHTM

Enhancing Self Care - The Evidence Base

3 - 5 May 2006, West Park Conference Centre, Dundee

Organised by: Alliance for Self Care Research and the Social Dimensions of Health Institute

The promotion of self care and self management is central to health policy in many countries. Its development forms a central plank to our National Framework for Service Change (the Kerr Report) so that practitioners, the public and patients are urged to develop models of working together as co-producers and autonomous partners to:

• maintain health;
• prevent and treat illness; and
• manage its impact on everyday lives.

Research is playing an important role in supporting practice and policy development by:

• reviewing the existing evidence base and it relevance to different international settings;
• developing interventions based on theory;
• evaluating interventions in real life situations; and
• developing an ethical framework for policy and practice.

This conference brought together leading researchers from around the world to share their findings in self care and self management research and to discuss its implications for the NHS as well as priorities for future research.

It was open to all researchers, practitioners and policy makers interested in examining the evidence base and drawing lessons from it for their own practice.

Speakers included

• Professor Kate Lorig - Professor of Nursing, Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine and Director of Patient Education Research Center, Stanford
• Dr Russell Glasgow - Senior Scientist with the Clinical Research Unit, Kaiser-Permanente Colorado, Denver, Colorado, US and a member of the RE-AIM Workgroup which has as its purpose to evaluate and enhance the reach and dissemination of health promotion interventions (www.re-aim.org).
• Professor Anne Rogers - Professor of Sociology of Health Care at the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre at the University of Manchester and a member of the Primary Care Mental Research Group.
• Sue Ziebland - Research Director of Database of Individual Patient Experiences (DIPEx), Oxford and as a medical sociologist she is a member of University of Oxford Research Group.
• Professor Cecil Helman - Associate of Medical Anthropology at Brunel University, West London; Senior Lecturer, Department of Primary Care and Population Studies, Royal Free and University College Medical School (University College London).
• Professor Mike Bury - Emeritus Professor of Sociology at University of London and Honorary Professor of Sociology at the University.

Speakers Presentations

Thursday 30th September & Friday 1st October

What have we learned since the Black report?

University of St Andrews, Lower College Hall

For a full agenda, abstracts and Power Point presentations (where available) click here

It has now been almost 25 years since the publication of the Black Report. The report gained notoriety both for its content and the way in which it was released to the public. It highlighted significant variations in the distribution of disease and mortality across a range of social groups, and called for major government expenditure. Interestingly, the report was suppressed when it was published, as it was not to Mrs Thatcher's liking. It was not printed and only 260 photocopies were distributed. However, the report had a huge impact on political thought in the United Kingdom and overseas and led to an assessment by the Office for Economic Co-Operation and Development and the World Health Organization of health inequalities in 13 countries. This two-day conference examined the content of the Black Report and explored a range of important issues relevant to the work of individuals from the inequalities field today. For example, what changes in the cause and pattern of inequalities have occurred since 1980? What lessons have been learnt from both domestic and international policies on inequalities? And what are the likely future problems, obstacles and strategies? A range of national and international figures will provide their own academic, health and political perspectives.

Sir Douglas Black

The conference was held in St Andrews, and was particularly appropriate conference for the SDHI as Sir Douglas Black graduated from the University of St Andrews in 1940 with a Doctorate of Medicine, and conducted much of his training in Dundee. Sadly, Sir Douglas passed away recently and it was a pertinent time to reflect on the enduring relevance of the Black Report.

For a full agenda, abstracts and Power Point presentations (where available) click here