You may want to consider the book/report Gerd Gigerenzer has recently produced with Muir Gray and others: www.amazon.co.uk/Better-Doctors-Patients-Decisions-Envisioning/dp/0262016036/
If the issue is about ordinary people understanding some of the complexities, this is very engaged.
Tom King

The Royal Statistical Statistical Literacy Campaign
www.getstats.org.uk
________________________________________
From: email list for Radical Statistics [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Alan Joyce [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 18 November 2011 15:28
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: FAQ's thanks and more?........

Dear Kate,

The NHS Drug and alcohol treatment sector provides a microcosmic insight into wider and future issues that will impact on health care policy in the UK.

The DATA is well evidenced, there are a number of 'service user' , drug user organisation's involved in campaigning on this front- and in my experience trends first evident in the Drug and alcohol treatment sector are often trial run's for policy's and practice as well as commissioning models that later are applied in the wider NHS.

If this would be of help I am on good terms with activists 9 I am one ) , some of whom are academics including some with statistical expertise ,  enlightened professionals and UK Gov agency's - or know how to navigate the maze to find the data required to evidence finding's that can be peer reviewed or meet Cochran standard , etc.

I know I keep banging the same old drum but prediction's I made circa 2005/ 2006 have subsequently proved to apply to drug treatment and health care planning and delivery in general.

My forte is not statistics but I have to be able - if required- amply evidence my arguments which is why I sub to this list.

I have one close associate, qualified in Statistics who has special interest in this field but has health problems that limit their ability to commit to project's.

I'm due to attend ( my health permitting ) a NUN board meeting where I will meet the person I've in mind- if interested and the task not to onerous they may be willing to help. although they have a pretty heavy schedule already.

I've recommended membership of this list to them - but in the interim if you want steering to the data and evidence base in this field I can help- albeit my own health problems mean it can take time.

Best: Alan Joyce.

RCGP Post Grad Dip 1 & 2 " Management of Substance misuse in General Practice ", The Methadone Alliance Advocacy for Drug Users part's 1 & 2 ( RCGP Badged ) , BA ( Hons ) , member of INPUD, SMMGP , Transform, etc, and board member the ( UK ) National Users Network .

Past roles include service user rep / liaison on the National Treatment agency's 'Clinical Oversight Committee' , elected user rep on the UK Harm Reduction alliance Board , affiliated to NAMA Recovery, etc, etc ....






In a message dated 18/11/2011 14:07:06 GMT Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes:
Many thanks for replies. From reading them, the message(s) I get back are;

1. Its complicated to calculate or understand, statistically or academically
2. Researchers and others have strongly different views and find evidence that backs that up.

I am coming from the point of view of ordinary people. I am wondering what statisticians, and academics, wish to say if you like, about the core issues related to new systems in the NHS. The public want to know if there is any evidence of inefficiency (or not) because that might change their views of the new system. They want to know if the services they get will be better (or worse) or more frequent (or reduced).

So the kinds of things they are concerned about are;
staffing levels

waiting lists
outcomes of treatment
costs to them or the 'public purse'
access to relevant treatment (changed?)
range of treatment options (changed?)
management costs within the NHS (vs other systems or new systems)

So what can be said to the public?? Is there any information that can help the public understand this better? Does it all just come back down to political ideals and policy system associated with that? I know these are not really easy questions, but I wonder how much information is really there for the public to help them make up their minds - so I am still on my task to draw up some frequently asked (or answered?) questions! Any more advice most welcome, for instance I hear that the RCN is just about to release new figures on the numbers and reductions in nursing staffing levels too. Information of this kind would be most useful.

Kate
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[cid:X.MA1.1321630101@aol.com]

Alan Joyce . NUN communications. (Volunteer).
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Please note that if you press the 'Reply' button your
message will go only to the sender of this message.
If you want to reply to the whole list, use your mailer's
'Reply-to-All' button to send your message automatically
to [log in to unmask]
Disclaimer: The messages sent to this list are the views of the sender and cannot be assumed to be representative of the range of views held by subscribers to the Radical Statistics Group. To find out more about Radical Statistics and its aims and activities and read current and past issues of our newsletter you are invited to visit our web site www.radstats.org.uk.
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