Guidance

Guidance for using the tobacco and alcohol CQUIN data collection tool

Updated 8 July 2019

1. Overview

Public Health England (PHE) has designed the data collection tool to help reduce the administrative burden of collecting and auditing the information needed to report for the tobacco and alcohol commissioning for quality and innovation (CQUIN) scheme.

The scheme encourages people to change their behaviour to reduce the risk to their health from tobacco and alcohol. This practice, incentivised by this CQUIN, is based on National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the most effective ways for preventing ill health from tobacco and alcohol.

You can use this optional data collection tool alongside the data collection form. You should use the data collection form in a clinical setting, to record information on the tobacco and alcohol screening and advice given to patients and then later enter that into the data collection tool.

It’s important that you record information in the data collection tool on a representative sample of patients, who meet the CQUIN criteria. This means recording information on patients who were screened and those who were not screened. This information is important in helping to monitor local practice. The 2019 to 2020 CQUIN Indicator Specification has more guidance on audit requirements.

2. The main ways to use the data collection tool

2.1 Use the tool as a live data collection process

If you screen and deliver interventions to a patient, you will firstly need to complete the data collection form and attach it to the patient’s case notes.

You should then enter the information from the data collection form into the data collection tool as soon as possible as part of local administrative processes. Where a patient has met the CQUIN criteria (an adult inpatient who is not in a maternity ward) but has not been screened, you should still record this information in the tool by selecting the response ‘not screened’.

Using this method will make sure that you collect, report and audit all admissions that meet the CQUIN criteria. The method also allows you to spot incorrect practices, such as referring patients who are not identified as potentially alcohol dependent to specialist services, and address these with practitioners.

This will also make sure that you include all hospital admissions that meet the CQUIN criteria and that you identify any issues with data quality and hopefully address these at the time of the patient’s admission rather than retrospectively.

2.2 Use the data collection tool to support case note audits

This method involves reviewing at least 100 case notes (or all case notes if there are fewer than 100 inpatients in the quarter) and entering information relevant to the CQUIN into the data collection tool.

If you use this method, it’s important that you follow the process in the technical specification, which explains about making sure you have a big enough sample size and appropriate randomisation.

3. How to use the data collection tool

These are the steps you need to follow to use the tool:

1. Save the data collection tool on a local computer before entering the data.
2. Once you’ve saved and opened the tool, enable macros and editing if you’re asked to do so.
3. You can now begin entering data.
4. You will first be asked to enter a unique identifier for each patient. This is to prevent multiple entries being made for the same person. This identifier should not include any patient identifiable information. Where other staff might also be entering information into the workbook, it’s important to make sure that you use a consistent identifier to avoid double entry.
5. Then you will be asked to enter information on the tobacco and alcohol screening and advice delivered to the patient.

4. Tips for using the data collection tool

When you are saving data and starting a new form, you need to complete all relevant fields before saving a patient’s information. You will always need to save or clear a record before starting a new one.

You can use the ‘clear template’ button to start again with a blank template if you enter any wrong data. This feature enables you to remove data for one patient (whose information you are entering), without losing the data you have entered for other patients.

You will need to start with a new copy of the data collection tool each quarter. So once a quarter has finished, save the workbook somewhere safe for your records. Then open a fresh copy of the tool and begin collecting information for the new quarter.

5. Features of the data collection tool

When using the tool please be aware of the following features.

5.1 Automated prompts and pop up text boxes

The tool has automated prompts that help to navigate and enhance the quality of the information you have entered. But they do not stop you from entering wrong data or recording practice that does not strictly follow the NICE guidance.

These prompts will automatically pop up when you enter data that does not reflect NICE guidance. If you think there is an error with the data being entered, you should seek clarification before proceeding.

It’s important that you enter data that reflects the advice and support that was given to the patient. So, if the advice and support given to the patient was inconsistent with NICE guidance, this is how you should enter the information. In other words, it’s OK to ignore the automated prompts.

5.2 The ‘produce quarterly summary’ function

The ‘produce quarterly summary’ button collates all the data you have entered, allowing you to send the information required. In situations where the practice recorded is inconsistent with NICE guidance, this does not count towards the relevant CQUIN indicator and the tool automatically excludes this from the summary count for that indicator.

It’s possible to produce a summary at any point to see your progress against the CQUIN by using the produce quarterly summary button. You should also use this process at the end of each quarter to produce the output that you will need to submit.

You will need to start and save a new data collection tool for each quarter. Once the quarter has finished, you will need to start the next one with a new empty data collection tool and then proceed as before.

6. Store data securely

It’s important that you securely store all paper and electronic records collected through this process and that appropriate local information governance arrangements are in place for handling sensitive patient data.

7. New way to upload data

For the 2019 to 2020 CQUIN scheme, NHS England will work with new partner NetSolving and their Case Capture system to collect data. This system replaces the Strategic Data Collection Service run by NHS Digital.

The new system should make it easier to upload data, provide higher levels of functionality and improved validation.

If you have any queries about the new system, experience any problems with the data collection tool or would like to share any feedback, please get in touch by emailing e.cquin@nhs.net.