RCSLT Online Outcome Tool

Therapy Outcome Measures

FAQ

Additional data fields

There are two types of additional data fields that are available to use on the ROOT. These exist to allow you to collect extra data items not included in the standard, 'core' ROOT dataset, should you wish to do so. 

  • optional fields 
  • local fields 

The benefit of using additional fields is that they can provide you with a more detailed, richer dataset. The 'comparison reports' have been designed to allow services using these fields to compare outcomes for different groups of patients (see reports training video, 6:25). 

If you opt to use these, however, it is important to be mindful of the additional burden on colleagues collecting the data and to ensure that they are covered by your information governance arrangements. 

Optional fields 

The optional fields that are currently available on the ROOT are provided in the table, below. These are fields that organisations/services can choose whether or not to collect. This list will develop over time in response to feedback from SLT services and in response to the changing environment. Please contact root@rcslt.org should you wish to activate any of these fields for your organisation/service. 

ADDITIONAL FIELDS

PURPOSE

Deprivation Decile *
(available for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales)

To record the level of deprivation in the area where the person usually lives.

Direction of care
(formerly 'care pathway')

To record whether the objective of the episode ofcare is to:

  • Improve
  • Sustain
  • Manage decline

Interpreter required? *

To record whether an interpreter is needed at some point in patient care.

Method of service delivery

To record whether interventions were delivered:

  • Face to face (in-person) only
  • Remote only
  • Mixed (face to face and remote)

Patient ethnicity *

To record the person’s self-reported ethnicity, using locally determined categories.

Patient language(s) *

To record whether the person uses or has exposure to languages other than English and Welsh.

Total time (mins)

To record the total time taken to complete the episode of care.

Total number of contacts

To record the total number of contacts for intervention during the completed episode of care.


* These fields have been developed through a pilot specifically to look at health inequalities. Please see the corresponding guidance (pdf) for these fields. 

 

Local fields 

Some services also choose to set up their own local fields that are useful for their own reports and analysis e.g. team name or SLT name. ROOT users with admin rights can create these, and there is a video that shows you how to do this in the training module for admin users. If you need any help, or have questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact root@rcslt.org 

 


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