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Table 1 Summary of extracted data and derived data items to be obtained from the three sources.

From: Variation in NHS utilisation of vault smear tests in women post-hysterectomy: A study, using routinely collected datasets

 

Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)

'Exeter' Cervical Screening data

Local Hospital Histopathology data

Identifiers for linkage

NHS Number, date of birth, postcode of home address.

NHS Number, date of birth, postcode of home address.

NHS Number.

Data items

Ethnicity, dates of hysterectomy operation, admission and discharge, surgical operation code(s) OPCS, diagnosis code(s) SNOMED morphology, hospital, consultant, GP and PCT of residence.

Dates of all smear tests, results of those smear tests and recommended follow up, details of smear taker, registered GP, current cervical screening status and date of death (where applicable).

Details of histology at hysterectomy, details of all specimens removed, details of results of analysis (morphology or diagnosis codes), full details of smear tests processed at the laboratory.

Data to be thus derived or calculated

Deprivation score (IMD), duration of stay, diagnostic grading of operation (benign vs pre-malignant or malignant disease), age at surgery.

Deprivation score (IMD), scoring of screening history using algorithm, whether any vault smears undertaken (also using operation date from HES).

Confirmation of whether total or subtotal hysterectomy undertaken.

Explanatory Notes

Request full data on all West Midlands resident women who had a hysterectomy during the year, 1st April 2002 to 30th March 2003. Requires approval of HES security and confidentiality advisory group.

Request full cervical screening histories on all women identified in HES database. Requires individual permission from each of 10 database controllers.

Request full histopathology records on all women with NHS numbers identified in HES. Requires permission from each of 17 hospitals ethics committees and heads of department.