Methodology

This page gives links to some useful short reports on methodological topics.  The page does not attempt to be comprehensive but gives a selection of relevant publications.  Further useful publications can be found in the reference sections of the documents below.  We will be adding more methodological reports over time - we would welcome comments and ideas about what to include.

Health inequalities

ISD report on measuring deprivation which includes a comparison of Carstairs and SIMD measures.

Public Health Observatory Handbook of Health Inequalities Measurement - a report that focuses on the measurement and interpretation of health inequalities.

Scottish Executive Measuring Inequalities Working Group - report which sets out recommendations made by the Working Group on Measuring Inequalities in Health in Scotland.

Eastern Region Public Health Observatory reports

INphoRM 1: Introduction to health equity audit
Introductory paper describing the relevance, importance and terminology of health equity audit. Outlines process of health equity audit in 5 practical steps and illustrates with two examples from the East of England: 1) coronary heart disease - the provision of revascularisation services (CABG and PTCA) in relation to need and 2) prescribing of aspirin in general practice for patients with angina.

INphoRM 2: Catchment areas and populations
This paper describes different methods for estimating catchment populations and mapping catchment areas, with recommendations for the best methods to use in different circumstances

INphoRM 3: Life expectancy
This paper sets out some of the issues relating to the construction, interpretation and uses of life tables and life expectancy estimates.

INphoRM 4: Presenting performance indicators: alternative approaches
This paper summarises the problems associated with current methods of analysing and presenting performance data and offering alternative solutions, with particular emphasis on process control methodologies.

INphoRM 5: Investigating outliers
Paper presenting a generic approach for investigating differences in disease occurrence in order to examine whether they are due to artefacts or chance, or are real differences.

INphoRM 6: Standardisation
Standardisation is widely used to summarise disease rates or mortality in different populations. This paper compares the common methods of standardisation, using as an example data from local authorities in the East of England.

The Evidence-Based Medicine "What is ..?" series

These short bulletins explain key concepts behind evidence-based medicine and some of them are relevant to using and interpreting public health information:

What is evidence-based medicine?
What is an NNT?
What is cost-effectiveness?
What are health utilities?
What is a systematic review?
What is a QALY?
Implementing NNTs
What is meta-analysis?
What is quality of life?
What is a Cox model?
What makes a good clinical guideline?
What is clinical governance?
Implementing QALYs
What is critical appraisal?
What is an integrated care pathway?
What are confidence intervals?
What is NICE?
What is clinical audit?
What is PBMA?
Implementing PBMA
What is health economics?

BMJ statistical notes series

This series contains background notes to a number of key statistical concepts.  Links to the notes covered can be found at  http://www.bmj.com/cgi/search?&titleabstract=%22statistics+notes%22&&journalcode=bmj&&hits=20