Our Expert Groups
1
Case Definitions
Chair - Mr Richard Wormald
The Case Definitions Expert Working Group (EWG) has carried out the work to review literature and identify the key criteria for defining degrees of visual impairment, eye disease and other key features for determining the data collected and the thresholds for categorisation and characterisation. The EWG have also advised on the equipment needed to gather data in the eye and hearing examinations.
2
Public Health and Equity
Chair - Prof. Darren Shickle
The Public Health and Equity EWG is responsible for advising the UKNEHS team on the requirements for study to provide maximum value from a public health perspective. This includes identifying the data needed to enable the effective investigation of specific public health questions, and supporting the team to identify and focus on the most important of those questions.
3
Patient, Public & Stakeholder
Chair - Michael Bowen
The Patient, Public and Stakeholder EWG has advised the UKNEHS team from the very earliest stages of development of the study. It includes a wide range of patient and public representatives, as well as representatives from the UKNEHS's stakeholders. The group has provided valuable advice on the study's design and the detail of the data collection process from the perspectives of people living with sight and hearing loss, family members of people with such loss, and the wider sector. Their advice has been critical in shaping the study, and refining the planned methods for communicating with participants, facilitating involvement in the project and ensuring patient interests are kept at the heart of the project.
The Genetics EWG has advised the UKNEHS team on the feasibility and desirability of seeking to collect genetic data as part of the study. Currently the advice is that without specific additional funding for the collection, storage and analysis of genetic data, it would not be feasible to include this in the design.
"Having population-based data could allow us to assess whether genetic information would improve our ability to predict who will get a disease like glaucoma, presently there is no good screening test and we know many people affected are diagnosed late."
7
Genetics
Chair - Prof. Chris Hammond
The Non-Ocular Specialties EWG includes experts from neurology, oncology, audiology, psychology and social research. The group was established to provide advice and guidance to the UKNEHS project in relation to opportunities to gather data relating to other conditions and factors associated with vision and hearing loss, and to ensure that such factors and features are taken into account in the analysis plan and reporting.
8
Non-Ocular Specialities
Chair - Prof. Sebastian Crutch
The International Scientific Advisory Group was established in 2017. The purpose of the group is to advise the UKNEHS on all aspects of the design, development and delivery of the UKNEHS from the perspective of the experience of such projects internationally, and with a view to the ensuring that the UKNEHS makes a genuine and impact contribution to the global evidence base for vision and hearing. The group includes subject experts from around the world, with extensive experience in epidemiology, population health, and international data sets.
9
International Scientific Advice
Chair - Prof. Hugh Taylor
4
Data linkage & reading centre
Chair - Prof. Tunde Peto
The Data linkage and reading centre EWG advises the UKNEHS on the requirements for effective and efficient data collection, processing, management and governance. Ensuring that the UKNEHS has the technology and data infrastructure needed to allow field teams to collect accurate data and securely save that data to the central database at the reading centre is a central element in the UKNEHS plan. The reading centre at Belfast has extensive experience of receiving and managing large volumes of complex data and ensuring that they are securely stored and efficiently managed for research.
5
Health Economics
Chair - Prof. Alistair Gray
The Health Economics EWG brings extensive knowledge and experitse of health economics to the UKNEHS study. The UKNEHS will investigate the impact of current health spending in vision and hearing services, but also will seek to answer questions relating to the targeting of future spending, by exploring the impact of different models of service provision across the devolved nations and various regions of England.
6
Epidemiology & Sampling
Chair - Dr Tasanee Braithwaite
The Epidemiology and Sampling EWG has led the work within the UKNEHS team to develop the power calculations to inform the study's sample size, and working with Health Survey England, to develop the sampling strategy and methodology for the project. EWG 6 has undertaken a comprehensive review of the literature relating to population studies to collate and evaluate the efficacy of various approaches to such studies.