ENHANCING INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT: EXPLORING OPTIONS IN GLASGOW Researchers Prof P Wilson, Dr R Wood, Dr L Reynolds, Dr L Thompson, M Forde, Dr M McClung. Aim • To explore the current status of data collection systems for pre-school child development throughout Scotland, and planned future improvements. • To explore ways of systematically collating and presenting cross-sectional data at local population level to support activities such as needs assessment and service evaluation. • To explore what data linkage can add by allowing the analysis of developmental trajectories at individual level. Project Outline/Methodology The work was planned over three distinct phases. Phase1: Mapping Survey. An exploration of the current status of data collection relating to child development up to primary school entry throughout Scotland, including plans for future systems and enhancements to existing systems. Phase 2: Utility of Data Profiles. Key stakeholders were interviewed regarding the Phase 1 report, including reflections on how data systems could be optimised for service design and planning. Phase 3: Data Linkage. An exploratory data linkage exercise where novel child development data (from 30 month health visitor contacts collected in West Glasgow CHCP in the second half of 2009) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) data collected before school entry and entered on the SEEMIS database in Glasgow City in spring 2011, were linked to electronic maternity records and existing child health surveillance data from the universal 10 day and 6-8 week health visitor contacts collected nationally. Key Results Phase 1 • In Scotland we collect an impressive range of data on young children’s health and education. • Most systems do not routinely record data about developmental measures for children aged 5 and younger.
Although systems are universally available, these do not always achieve universal coverage. Phase 2 • Service planners / managers would like to see more integration of data (i.e., across sectors) and data that is more accessible (i.e., a single webbased source) and presented at a level meaningful to their decision making. Phase 3 • Linkage of research and routine data sets using both deterministic and probablistic methods is feasible and useful in child development data. • Socioeconomic deprivation at birth and mother’s smoking behaviour during pregnancy and in the first few days of a child’s life are important predictors of parent and child-based outcomes at thirty months and five years. Birthweight and mode of feeding also appear to predict later outcomes.
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Conclusions There is potential for optimising existing data and capitalising on current developments toward more electronic and integrated systems. Data linkage is feasible and useful and can help us better understand developmental trajectories. What does this study add to the field? This is the first Scottish study to explore child data systems in relation to social and emotional development and to perform exploratory data linkage of this data on a whole population scale. Implications for Practice or Policy There is a clear desire among key stakeholders for making child development data systems more comprehensive and integrated in the interests of improving research and ultimately children’s services design. 1. Where to next? The new 27 month health visitor contact provides an ideal opportunity for further research into the utility of routinely gathered data on whole populations of Scottish children. 2. Further details from: Professor Phil Wilson, Centre for Rural Health University of Aberdeen, Centre for Health Science, Old Perth Road, Inverness IV2 3JH
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