SLaM CRIS - NPD linkage
Research type
Research Database
IRAS ID
279403
Contact name
Johnny Downs
Contact email
Research summary
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust CRIS data linkage with the National Pupil Database.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/SC/0194
Date of REC Opinion
14 Aug 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion
Data collection arrangements
The South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Biomedical Research Centre (SLAM BRC) Case Register comprises a program (the Clinical Record Interactive Search, CRIS) which removes identifiers from SLAM’s electronic medical records system and allows access for research projects. The Department of Education (DfE) National Pupil Database (NPD) is a database which holds individual education records(such as exam results, attendances etc) collected since 2002, for all children enrolled in state school or taking national exams who reside in England. We are seeking approval for SLAM’s Confidential Data Linkage Service (CDLS) to securely transfer a database of identifiers (name, date of birth, address only) the Department of Education with a project specific CRIS pseudonym for children who have accessed SLAM service. The Department for Education will use these identifiers to match the CRIS pseudonym to education performance records, and send onto to the ONS Secure Research Service an anonymised educational database with a linked CRIS pseudonym . Using the CRIS pseudonym, the CDLS will create an anonymised dataset containing mental health data. This can then be used to conduct research. Linked datasets accessed and used for research will be fully anonymised by ONS and made available under their 'Safe use of data principles'. Only SLaM researchers, accredited by ONS, will then access the ONS fully anonymised data for research within their Secure Research Service Environment. No personal information can be linked by researchers to source identifiers.
Research programme
The linkage and proposed research will provide evidence to help families, treating clinicians and health policy makers understand the socio-demographic and educational/cognitive risk factors for major childhood mental illnesses such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, obsessional compulsive disorders and depression. In addition, it will provide evidence to help clinicians and families understand the bi-directional impact of childhood mental illness and educational outcomes. This is important as understanding a child’s functional abilities especially their educational performance is integral to assessment, diagnosis and treatment process of child mental health disorders. Of those accessing CAMHS, a large percentage of school age children and their carers seek psychiatric help because of concerns regarding progress at school. Hence an important and common objective for families who seek child and adolescent mental health care is to get their child back on track at school and improve their education performance. The linkage will permit research into how cognitive/educational risks factors impact childhood mental health treatment processes and outcomes. This linkage will be the only UK dataset of its kind that can enable routinely collected educational and school census data to be used to understand child mental health disease and treatment mechanisms.
Research database title
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust CRIS data linkage with the National Pupil Database.
Establishment organisation
The Office for National Statistics
Establishment organisation address
1 Drummond Gate
Pimlico
London
SW1V 2QQ