The second edition of the Island’s Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) has now been launched and for the first time it will be made available online.
The Framework is a dataset which includes information on a range of indicators of health and wellbeing, measuring not only how long people live but also how healthy they are at all stages of their lives.
The methodology used to analyse the data is based on that used by Public Health England (PHE), which is one of the most fully developed sets of data available and which is detailed enough to allow the Island to compare its data with both England as a whole as well as with specific local authorities.
This kind of detailed benchmarking means that the Island’s Public Health Directorate is able to clearly see those areas where we are doing better – or worse – than similar populations in our neighbouring jurisdiction and this helps identify priorities for further action
The data which sits at the heart of the PHOF comes from a number of different sources, including a large-scale lifestyle survey held every five years and smaller, more regular targeted surveys which can focus on specific areas of interest. Data is also taken from other existing sources, such as health service activity and mortality statistics.
Dr Henrietta Ewart, Director of Public Health, commented:
'The launch of this second edition of our Public Health Outcomes Framework comes after several years of sustained hard work. Data by itself will not give us all the answers or make decisions for us, but it is absolutely critical in illuminating where we need to focus our efforts across government and more widely to obtain the best health outcomes for all.'
