RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Can hospital episode statistics support appraisal and revalidation? Randomised study of physician attitudes
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP 332
OP 338
DO 10.7861/clinmedicine.7-4-332
VO 7
IS 4
A1 Giles P Croft
A1 John G Williams
A1 Robin Y Mann
A1 David Cohen
A1 Ceri J Phillips
YR 2007
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/7/4/332.abstract
AB Hospital episode statistics were originally designed to monitor activity and allocate resources in the NHS. Recently their uses have widened to include analysis of individuals' activity, to inform appraisal and revalidation, and monitor performance. This study investigated physician attitudes to the validity and usefulness of these data for such purposes, and the effect of supporting individuals in data interpretation. A randomised study was conducted with consultant physicians in England, Wales and Scotland. The intervention group was supported by a clinician and an information analyst in obtaining and analysing their own data. The control group was unsupported. Attitudes to the data and confidence in their ability to reflect clinical practice were examined before and after the intervention. It was concluded that hospital episode statistics are not presently fit for monitoring the performance of individual physicians. A more comprehensive description of activity is required for these purposes. Improvements in the quality of existing data through clinical engagement at a local level, however, are possible.