Risk Stratification
Using your data to plan and support better care
Your data, including age, gender and medications prescribed is used by your GP practice to provide better personalised care. This process is called risk stratification. If you don’t want your data to be used in this way, you can opt out but this can affect the way healthcare staff can help you stay well.
What is risk stratification?
Risk stratification is used by your GP Practice and Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (BLMK ICB) to identify groups of patients who may have long term health conditions who would benefit from additional help. Risk stratification uses patient data, such as age, gender, diagnoses, hospital attendance and admissions, this data is collected by NHS Digital from NHS hospitals and community services. This is then linked to data from GP practices and analysed. By using patient data in this way it is possible to provide more personalised care and improve services.
Using patient data to target support for patients
GP practices use patient data to help support patients with long-term conditions and help prevent unplanned hospital admissions or reduce the risk of patients developing other diseases. Your GP will use computer programmes to identify registered patients who are at most risk, they will do this regularly. The list of patients identified will be reviewed by a team of healthcare staff at your practice. You might be contacted if the team think there should be changes to your care.
Your Data
There is Section 251 approval from the Secretary of State, through the Confidentiality Advisory Group of the Health Research Authority, which means BLMK ICB can receive this data as long as there are measures in place to keep the data safe.
Opt Out
If you are happy for your data to be used in this way, you don’t need to do anything. However, if you don’t want your data included, you can choose to opt out by contacting BLMK ICB, who will let your GP practice know. Your records will be updated to make sure your information is not included.
You can contact the ICB by email or phone:
0800 148 8890 and ask for the information governance team
You can also find out more by visiting Data Protection – BLMK Integrated Care Board (icb.nhs.uk)