HSC R&D Division funds a range of research infrastructure to support the enhanced use of routinely collected data for research purposes. These include:
Honest Broker Service (HBS)
The Business Services Organisation provides an Honest Broker Service (HBS) for Health and Social Care (HSC).
The HBS enables the provision of anonymised, aggregated and in some cases pseudonymised health and social care data to the DoH (NI), HSC organisations and for anonymised data for ethically approved health and social care related research.
An Honest Broker Governance Board ensures good Information Governance and that data will be provided in line with Data Protection, Confidentiality Requirements and the Information Commissioners Office Codes of Practice. The aim is to enable non-identifiable data to be shared within HSC to maximise the uses and health service benefits which can be gained from it including planning, commissioning of services and public health monitoring.
A “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) on the scope and operation of the Honest Broker Service has been agreed by all HSC bodies.
The service is open to: DoH, HSC Organisations which have signed up to the Memorandum of Understanding and researchers with ethical approval
Enhanced Prescribing Database (EPD)
The Enhanced Prescribing Database (EPD) is held within the Business Services Organisation (BSO) and contains detailed information in relation to all primary care prescriptions dispensed in Northern Ireland since March 2008. A statistician is supported by HSC R&D Division funding to facilitate the use of the EPD for research purposes.
The database has proven to be a rich source of information on the morbidity of the population in Northern Ireland and its analysis has allowed the investigation of prescribing of many types of medications including antidepressants, antibiotics and anti-diabetic drugs. The research undertaken often utilises links to other HSC datasets and/or census data through the NILS, thus providing further depth and quality to the knowledge gained.
Administrative Data Research (ADR)
Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS)
Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (funded by Public Health Agency)
http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/
The NI Cancer Registry, established in 1994, is located in the Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast and is the official producer of cancer incidence and survival statistics in Northern Ireland.
Access Research Knowledge (ARK) (funded by ESRC)
Access Research Knowledge (ARK) provides social science information on Northern Ireland