Scottish Cosmetic Interventions Expert Group Report July 2015

Report on usage and numbers of cosmetic interventions being conducted in Scotland and recommendation on regulation of Independent Healthcare Providers.


Annex 4: Methodology for the gathering the views of the public & practitioners

Evidence was required to support the development of SCIEG's recommendations, including determining the most appropriate role for government in this area. In particular, evidence is needed to determine the current use of different types of cosmetic intervention services (including by population subgroups of interest), their associated risks and benefits, and develop an understanding of public expectations for governmental safeguards for the sector.

Scottish Government's Analytical Services Division developed and devised an analytical programme that could be adopted to gather appropriate evidence for this work.

Background and objectives

There is currently a lack of objective data on the uptake of cosmetic interventions and the magnitude of any harms experienced in the Scottish population as a result. Previous qualitative research has been conducted in England to inform the Keogh review and identified a desire for regulation of the cosmetic interventions sector, to safeguard the care of patients.

Further evidence is required to inform SCIEG's deliberations. Accurate and unbiased evidence that robustly demonstrates the population situation in Scotland is unlikely to be possible. However the specific high-level objectives for the evidence gathering process include:

  • Scope the range of cosmetic intervention services (i.e. types of intervention) and providers (i.e. practitioners/professionals who provide the service) in Scotland
  • Review the evidence on the potential health benefits and risk of cosmetic interventions services
  • Determine the uptake of different types of cosmetic intervention services, by subgroups of interest
  • Understand service providers' views about current regulation, required developments and potential implementation challenges
  • Explore public understanding, by subgroups required for market segmentation, of the risks and benefits of cosmetic interventions and establish if there is unmet need for public education in this area
  • Explore consumers' understanding of the risks and benefits of cosmetic interventions and establish if information provision (including for the consent process) is accurate and balanced
  • Explore public understanding of the risks and benefits of cosmetic intervention services and establish if marketing of services is accurate and balanced
  • Understand consumers' and public expectations of mechanisms to assure safe, effective and quality care when they undergo cosmetic interventions, including their expectations of regulation
  • Understand consumers' and public expectations of the role of the NHS in safeguarding health following cosmetic intervention services
  • Develop population-based monitoring of uptake and rate of complications of cosmetic intervention services in Scotland
  • Develop an evaluation framework for the impact of government intervention in this area

In order to fulfil the eleven stated objectives, the following approaches to gathering evidence are being enacted.

 

Objective

Options for approaches

Status

A

Scope the range of services and providers

Exercise reviewing advertising of services.
Interview providers.

Two interviews completed but difficulty with recruitment. However, this information has been gathered via informal feedback from HQC.

B

Establish the potential health benefits and risks of cosmetic intervention services

Review existing scientific literature. High Quality Care subgroup to identify expert opinions, where evidence lacked.

Searches,data extraction and advice from clinicians. Final report peer reviewed by members of SCIEG.

C

Determine the uptake of different services, by subgroups of interest

Omnibus Survey

Questionnaire ready: commissioned from YouGov

D

Understand service providers' views about current regulation and required future regulation

Questionnaire - providers.

Provider questionnaires through questback

 

Objective

Options for approaches

Status

E

Explore public understanding of the risks and benefits of cosmetic interventions

Focus groups with public.

FGs are ongoing. Further FG on consumers required in Dec 2014/ Jan 2015, with assistance needed for recruitment

F

Explore consumers' understanding of the risks and benefits and establish if information provision is accurate and balanced

Questionnaires - consumers.
Questionnaires - providers.

Providers' and consumers' questionnaires through questback

G

Establish if information provision to consumers and the public (e.g. marketing) is accurate and balanced

Focus group with consumers and the public.
Questionnaires with consumers.

See above

H

Understand consumers' and public expectations of mechanisms to assure care, including expectations of regulation

Focus group with consumers and the public.
Questionnaires with consumers.

See above

I

Understand consumers' and public expectations of the role of the NHS in safeguarding health following cosmetic interventions

Focus group with consumers and the public.
Questionnaires with consumers.

See above

J

Develop population-based monitoring of uptake and rate of complications

Add questions into existing repeated cross-sectional surveys e.g. Scottish Health Survey - starting 2015

Scottish Health Survey questions being incorporated in 2015 survey

K

Develop an evaluation framework for the impact of government intervention

Possible indicators and methods to be worked up

Initial framework has been created

Contact

Email: Quality Team

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