DSC Notice

DSC Notice: 01/2009 Date of Issue: January 2009 Sponsoring Organisation: Implementation Date: 01 April 2009 Subject: Department of Health Core Data Set for National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) v5.3 This DSCN informs users of the approval of changes to an inherited information standard by the Information Standards Board for Health and Social Care (ISB HaSC) This was approved by ISB HaSC at its meeting on 23 July 2008. The burden of collection has been agreed by the Review of Central Returns Steering Committee (ROCR) - ROCR No: ROCR/OR/0072/002. Summary: This DSCN introduces changes to the core data set for the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS). This system has been in place for several years and the primary purpose of this DSCN is to ensure that the latest version is available to the service and its IT system suppliers. The current version of the core data set for NDTMS is version 5.3. The core data set, together with human and technical guidance can be accessed at http://www.nta.nhs.uk/areas/ndtms/core_data_set_page.aspx. This DSCN is limited to the definition of the patient data that is collected and submitted to the NDTMS though the NDTMS web-portal. This DSCN is relevant for all software suppliers who produce software that is used to collect and submit the NDTMS data-set within primary and mental health trust substance misuse services. The standard is also relevant to suppliers with systems used by criminal justice and 3rd sector structured drug treatment providers. Trusts setting up or developing information systems to support substance misuse services will need to have the NDTMS data-standard embedded within their systems either directly, or as a set of derivable data from existing data collected on clinical information systems. The NDTMS data standard is not currently aligned with the NHS Data Model and Dictionary. The purpose of this notice is to bring LSP service providers and suppliers of clinical information systems to the mental health and primary care sectors, who currently collect the NDTMS data set, in line with the requirements placed on clinical services to submit data to the NDTMS. These requirements applied from 1 April 2008, are largely already complied with. This notice is unlikely to have a significant impact on data collection by the clinical services or their commissioners. Clinical software suppliers with system used to collect NDTMS data from substance misuse clinical services, including LSPs, are required to implement these changes by April 2009. Further information about ISB HaSC can be found at www.isb.nhs.uk Data Set Change Notices can be found at www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/dscn Datasets / return affected: National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) (version 5.3) Related DSCNs: 19/2001: National Drugs Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) [Previously the Regional Drug Misuse Database (RDMD) System] Impact of Change: Service: Minor System Suppliers: Minor The Information Standards Board for Health and Social Care (ISB HaSC) is responsible for approving information standards. Submission documents and the ISB HaSC Board output relating to the approval of this standard can be found at: www.isb.nhs.uk/docs/ndtmcds. DSCN 01/2009 Page 2 of 6 DATA SET CHANGE NOTICE Reference No: Version No: Subject: Type of Change: Implementation Date: Business Justification: ROCR/OR/0072/002 1.4 Core Data Set for National Drug Treatment Monitoring v5.3 Change to an approved information standard April 2009 Required to support the collection of Treatment Outcome Profile (TOP) data through the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS). None Effect on other Information Standards: Introduction The NDTMS core data set supports the operation of the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System. This system collects and reports on drug treatment activity data within a wide range of settings, including primary and secondary care within the NHS, the criminal justice sector and the third sector (voluntary agencies). The reporting is provided back to the public through routine publication of national statistics and performance management information to commissioners, performance managers, regulatory bodies, national, regional, and local government etc. The need for this data is to ensure that drug treatment services are performance managed effectively, and to enable policy makers to quantify the effect of drug treatment across a range of individual and public health areas. The change to the information standard will affect the working practices of clinical and administrative staff working in organisations treating individuals for problematic drug misuse. This change is because the Treatment Outcome Profile requires clinical services to collect routine client data in a standardised format. This DSCN introduces additional data elements to the core data set, makes minor changes to the reference values (code sets) for some existing data elements, revises names and extends PCT coverage, and corrects spelling errors. All treatment services proving NHS commissioned treatment should already be submitting files using version 5.3. The impact on clinical practice arising from this notice is therefore unlikely to be significant. Much of the data currently recorded by clinical services and submitted centrally is collected through services entering activity data onto NTA supplied web browser systems or on stand alone clinical packages. The impact of this notice is therefore more significant where trusts are seeking to integrate clinical record by the substance misuse team into a trust wide clinical information system. This DSCN will therefore apply to LSP providers. Software suppliers that are not currently compliant with version 5.3 should implement the changes specified here by the 1 April 2009. The changes will also affect Regional data-base centres, which are normally housed within Public Health Observatories (PHOs). This change will require them to be capable of providing new forms of analysis. DSCN 01/2009 Page 3 of 6 Commissioners will need to ensure that commissioner’s annual treatment plans have adequate resourcing built into services annual budgets to ensure that migration to the new standard can be achieved within the required timescales. Background Core data collected as part of the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) is used to measure progress against the PSA, NHS LDP delivery and for HCC performance indicator assessment. The standard will be used by suppliers of interconnected systems to specify reports and data extracts NDTMS data is provided by approximately 1700 drug and alcohol treatment providers in England. The majority of the data (about 2/3) is supplied by clinical information systems maintained by larger treatment providers (e.g. Mental Health Trusts and national Voluntary Sector organisations). The key policy driver behind the NDTMS arises from the need to monitor the overarching national drug strategy target for drug treatment (PSA 25) The data set is used to provide data that underpins the following: • • • • • • • • • • • • Monitoring central government drug strategy targets (PSA 25) Drug Treatment Commissioning Supporting a tier 2 indicator from Vital Signs. Health Care Commission (HCC) Annual Health Check (PCTs and MHT’s) HCC Improvement Reviews Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) Performance Indicators (A80) Publication of National Statistics (ONS) Support the production of European statistics (EMCDDA) Policy Development within government departments. Performance management (National Treatment Agency, Government Office of the Regions, Primary care trusts, Local Authorities) Regional Public Health monitoring (PHOs). Academic Research Details of Change This DSCN covers the changes in the standard published by the NTA between versions 4.1 and 5.3. A full list of the new data items can be found in the revision table in the front of the technical definitions of the data set (available from: http://www.nta.nhs.uk/areas/ndtms/core_data_set_page.aspx. A summary of the changes are: Treatment Outcomes Profile Treatment Outcomes Profile (TOP) to be used at the start of treatment and in care plan reviews and reported through the NDTMS. Up to now the NTA has used process and proxy outcome measures (e.g. waiting times and retention) to indicate the effectiveness of drug treatment. The Agency, treatment providers and commissioners have shared a long-term goal to establish real outcomes monitoring systems and are committed to their continuing development. Drug treatment outcomes in the UK are grouped into four key domains: • • • • Drug and alcohol use Physical and psychological health Social functioning Offending and criminal involvement. Page 4 of 6 DSCN 01/2009 Other less significant changes made between 4.1 and v5.3 are: • • • • • • • Redefinition of Client Reference Field to exclude any use of client identifiers Change maximum value for number of days in the ‘month’ from 30 days to 28 days for all relevant fields in data-set Amends to PCT name values as required Inclusion of Scottish PCT codes. Revised Young Persons services discharge codes. Frequency of use of Problem Substance No 1 Remove Employment Status field. The responsibility for implementation of the changes rests with the organisations that are commissioned to provide structured drug treatment. Suppliers wishing to comply with this standard should supply a test file for verification to the NTA before 1 April 2009. Any implication for patient safety is likely to relate to a localities annual allocation from the pooled treatment budget. These are calculated using the activity recorded through collection of data using this standard through the NDTMS. Non compliance is likely to result in a loss of funding to the commissioners of the service, and therefore place users of the service at risk. Commissioners will need to ensure that annual treatment plans have adequate resourcing built into services annual budgets to ensure that migration to the new standard can be achieved within the required timescales. The revised standard, together with human and technical guidance etc can be accessed at: http://www.nta.nhs.uk/areas/ndtms/core_data_set_page.aspx Notes for Suppliers wanting to develop NDTMS upload Interface. This DSCN applies to systems being used by clinical services to submit activity data to the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System. Any providers developing or setting up a substance misuse service will need to ensure that the standard is built into the specification of clinical and/or administrative systems. Data delivery to the NDTMS is though a monthly submission of an activity data file to the NDTMS web portal by the clinical service. Suppliers of systems that wish to develop and test the interface to the NDTMS should contact the NTA at NDTMSProgrammecoordinator@nta-nhs.org.uk in the first instance. Effects on Other Information Standards None Sponsor Details Nick Lawrence Head of Drugs and Alcohol Policy Health Improvement Directorate (National Programme Delivery) Department of Health Wellington House, London. Further Information and Support Fur further information relating to the technical specification and user guidance for the standard, please see here.http://www.nta.nhs.uk/areas/ndtms/core_data_set_page.aspx Further information for suppliers, including supplier test scenarios for versions 4.X and 5.X of the standard please see here http://www.nta.nhs.uk/areas/ndtms/software_suppliers.aspx DSCN 01/2009 Page 5 of 6 For further information contact Malcolm Roxburgh at Malcolm.Roxburgh@nta-nhs.org.uk or 0207 261 8902 Appendices FR AM EWORK Effective Date “may use” Health and Social Care Personnel Organisation IT Suppliers 01/08/07 01/03/09 Collection Start Date Implementation Date “must use” 01/04/08 01/05/08 01/04/09 01/05/09 First Submission Date Reporting Period / Submission Cycle Monthly – exact dates set by regional teams Conformance Date “must be used effectively and assessed for use” 01/04/08 01/07/09 Superseded Date (of prior standard) “stop using prior standard” 01/04/10 01/04/10 Note: This DSCN applies to suppliers of systems used to record clinical data relating to substance misuse treatment. This will include most mental health trust systems, and some primary care systems. DSCN 01/2009 Page 6 of 6