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JOINT FUTURE: DATA STRATEGY RESOURCE USE MEASURE (RUM) AND THE INTEGRATED CARE ASSESSMENT DATA SUMMARY (RUM-ICADS)

Dear Colleague

JOINT FUTURE: DATA STRATEGY RESOURCE USE MEASURE (RUM) AND THE INTEGRATED CARE ASSESSMENT DATA SUMMARY (RUM-ICADS)

I enclose a consultation paper setting out the proposed Joint Future: Data Strategy for the RUM and the Integrated Care Assessment Data Summary (RUM-ICADS). Your views are invited by 29 September 2003.

Context

Circular No 9/2002 of 24 September 2002 introduced the Report on the Development of a Resource Use Measure (RUM) for Scotland. The RUM is a standardised tool that will group individuals according to their level of relative need following a Single Shared Assessment (SSA). The "Next Steps" letter issued on 28 February 2003 on behalf of the Executive, COSLA and NHSScotland confirmed that implementation of the RUM had begun in 5 implementation sites. It set out the expectation that all partnerships will begin to use the RUM by end of 2003-04. The plan for full implementation assumes that all SSAs of people aged 65 and over in Scotland should have a RUM grouping assigned. The RUM appendix to the 'Next Steps' letter stated that the ongoing work with the 5 sites and the RUM Information Sub-Group and RUM Reference Group included looking at how RUM scores could be combined with other information already collected. This would provide a data set that could inform planning locally and be made available for national collection.

What are we consulting on?

The consultation paper provides an overview of the development of the data summary for RUM-ICADS, which consists of RUM and associated data derived from the SSA process. The strategy has been produced in collaboration with the 5 implementation sites, the Care Assessment

Group (CAG), and the RUM Reference Group. The CAG was set up to oversee the implementation of SSA and RUM. The RUM Reference Group oversees the development and implementation of the RUM and reports to the CAG.

The fundamental strategic purpose of the RUM development is to support the provision of better services for Scotland's older people. The RUM-ICADS development introduces for the first time the prospect of obtaining person based information on need and service provision for older people in a standardised format, with coverage extending over the whole of Scotland. It is a substantial step in the development of client level information collected across traditional NHS and local authority boundaries. It will therefore be useful to both health and social care interests, and will provide information across a range of levels from front-line practitioners to a Scotland-wide level. For example:

At local level:

• support for strategic planning and the development of jointly delivered services, caseload management, benchmarking for best value and local resource allocation; and
• the provision of a source of regularly updated information for local authorities and their health partners to use together.

At national level

• a more complete insight into the needs characteristics of older people receiving services across the whole of Scotland;
• a means for identifying and reviewing differences and similarities between different parts of Scotland by matching levels of service provision to need; and
• supporting balance of care work and national benchmarking associated with best value approaches.

IT Considerations

From the outset the RUM development team has been considering methods of delivery of the RUM-ICADS information requirements by electronic means. With the emergence of the eCare Programme it is apparent that this technology would offer an effective means of sharing the RUM data between practitioners. Despite this it is acknowledged that the proposed data strategy will make significant demands on the IT systems being used within Councils and partnerships to support the assessment process. In parallel with the consultation, discussions will be held with Carenap/eCare project teams to explore ways of minimising the impact on local IT systems, for example, the possibility of incorporating the RUM into a Networked Carenap and developing a web front-end. This would enable the RUM to be integral to the assessment.

What are we asking?

We ask that you share this paper with your constituents and feed back comments to the Joint Future Unit by 29 September. We would particularly welcome your comments on:

1. The potential uses of the aggregated RUM-ICADS information

• Locally
• Nationally

2. The linkages across the RUM-ICADS data set and with other sources for effective local planning purposes (see paragraphs 10, 11 and 17-22 of the paper).

3. Whether the data set (at appendix 1 of the paper):

• is clear?
• is feasible and useful to collect?
• is useful for local planning?

4. Whether the proposed data set is seen as essential information to have locally within each partnership. This question is based on the principle that national information should be built upon the information required to manage and plan services at the local partnership level.

5. Phased introduction of data summary. It is recognised that all the data items in the proposed RUM-ICADS may not be readily available in the short term. For this reason, it will be necessary to consider the possibility of phasing the introduction of the data summary. Thus, for example, some of the information from data item 15 -20 may need to be introduced at a later date. Please therefore indicate which elements of the data set (item 1-20, appendix 1) partnerships would consider essential locally for planning purposes and feasible to collect in the short term.

Where to send comments

Please could you send comments on the consultation paper by 29 September 2003 to:

Derick Wilson
Joint Future Unit
Scottish Executive Health Department
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Email: Derick.J.Wilson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Questions on points of detail in the consultation paper should be addressed to Winona Samet on 0131-244 5317 (Winona.Samet@scotland.gsi.gov.uk) or Brenda Kerr on 0131-244 3744 (Brenda.Kerr@scotland.gsi.gov.uk).

Electronic copies of this letter and the consultation paper can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/views/views.asp

Comments will be assumed to be accessible publicly through a file held in the Scottish Executive's library unless you request otherwise.

Yours sincerely

J A RENNIE

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