Dr Fiona Lugg-Widger
Research Fellow - Routine Data
- luggfv@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2068 7519
- 702C, 7th Floor, Neuadd Meirionnydd, Heath Park
I am a Research Fellow based at the Centre for Trials research working on a number of routine data linkage projects. I am the lead of routine data linkage for the CTR and have substantial experience in using routinely collected data from multiple sources, including expertise in data governance.
I am currently working on four data-linkage projects as study manager, all of which use routinely collected data and I have substantial experience in gaining approvals of routinely collected data in England, Scotland and Wales (from health, education and social care sectors) as well as expertise in data governance and project management. I work in collaboration with the data safe haven Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) in Swansea, and the equivalent in Scotland (eDRIS). The information centres who I have worked with to access data are: CPRD, NHS Digital, National Pupil Database, SAIL, electronic Data Research & Innovation Service (eDRIS) & Education Analytical Services (EAS).
I am interested in the feasibility and acceptability of using routinely collected data in a trials setting especially using new data sources and exploring the acceptability in different patient populations.
Education and qualifications
- 2014: PhD (Primary Care & Public Health) Cardiff University
- 2010: Masters of Research, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University
- 2009: BSc (Microbiology), Cardiff University
Career overview
- 2014 - present: Centre for Trials Research at Cardiff University
Speaking engagements
2017: Population Health Conference, Cardiff
2016: International Population Data Linkage Network bi-annual conference, Swansea
2016: South West Society for Academic Primary Care Conference, Cardiff
2015: International Clinical Trials Methodology Conference, Glasgow
2015: General Practice Research on Infections Network Meeting, Galway
2014: South West Society for Academic Primary Care Conference, Bristol
2013: South West Society for Academic Primary Care Conference, Southampton
Committees and reviewing
2017: Member of the CTR NHS Digital Working group
2014 – present: Chair of the Routine Data | Data Linkage Forum
2012 – 2013: School of Medicine Postgraduate Representative
2019
- Trubey, R.et al. 2019. Validity and effectiveness of paediatric early warning systems and track and trigger tools for identifying and reducing clinical deterioration in hospitalised children: a systematic review. BMJ Open 9(5), article number: e022105. (10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022105)
- Lugg-Widger, F.et al. 2019. Long-term outcomes of urinary tract infection (UTI) in Childhood (LUCI): protocol for an electronic record-linked cohort study. BMJ Open 9, article number: e024210. (10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024210)
- Lugg-Widger, F. V. and Robling, M. 2019. Routinely collected data for trialists: The need for continued conversations and solution sharing [Letter]. Clinical Trials 16(2), pp. 217-218. (10.1177/1740774518814760)
- Paine, A. L.et al. 2019. Assessing the impact of a family nurse-led intervention on young mothers’ references to internal states. Infant Mental Health Journal
2018
- Lugg-Widger, F.et al. 2018. Challenges in accessing routinely collected data from multiple providers in the UK for primary studies: Managing the morass. International Journal of Population Data Science 3(3), article number: 2. (10.23889/ijpds.v3i3.432)
- Sanders, J.et al. 2018. Evaluating the Family Nurse Partnership Programme in Scotland: a natural experiment approach. International Journal of Population Data Science 3(4), article number: 994. (10.23889/ijpds.v3i4.994)
- Lugg-Widger, F.et al. 2018. Assessing the impact of specialist home visiting upon maltreatment in England: a feasibility study of data linkage from a public health trial to routine health and social care data. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 4, article number: 98. (10.1186/s40814-018-0294-4)
- Lugg-Widger, F. V.et al. 2018. Using routinely collected data from multiple providers for long term follow-up. International Journal of Population Data Science
2017
- Lugg-Widger, F.et al. 2017. Assessing the medium-term impact of a home-visiting programme on child maltreatment in England: protocol for a routine data linkage study. BMJ Open 7, article number: e015728. (10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015728)
2015
- Lugg, F.et al. 2015. Parental views on childhood vaccination against viral gastroenteritis-a qualitative interview study. Family Practice 32(4), pp. 456-461. (10.1093/fampra/cmv035)
2014
- Lugg, F. 2014. The management of paediatric gastroenteritis. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
Research Interests
- Using routine data / data linkage methods for health & social care research
- Feasibility and Acceptability of routinely collected data for health & social care research
- Infections
- Children & Young People
Current Projects
Building Blocks: 2-6: This is a follow-on study from a trial looking at the effectiveness of a home-visiting intervention (Family Nurse Partnership FNP) for first-time young mothers in England. This study is following up mothers and children using routine data only from NHS Digital (Hospital Episode Statistics HES), Office for National Statistics and the Department for Education (National Pupil database). The primary outcome for this study is the effect of this intervention on reducing child maltreatment.
FNP Scotland: This is a natural experiment comparing usual care (control) with those who received Family Nurse Partnership home visiting intervention (case) in Scotland. Although a similar research question to the above study, this is in a different country, with a different study design. We are accessing data via eDRIS on child health, hospital (various datasets), prescriptions, social care and education data.
LUCI Study: This is another follow-on study, looking at the long-term outcomes of children who presented with a urinary tract infection in their first 5 years of life. Data are being accessed from NHS Digital (HES) and Secure Anonymised Information Linkage SAIL (GP, Hospital, congenital anomalies, microbiology radiology data).
I have also been involved in developing an infections related questionnaire via the HealthWise Wales national population study that will be linked with routinely collected data made available by SAIL.
Grants
2017: Early Positive Approaches to Support (E-PAtS) for families of young children with intellectual disability: Feasibility study. Funder: National Institute for Health Research - Public Health Research (NIHR PHR).
2017: Establishing the impact of specialist home-visiting on children's language development and parent-child interaction: developmental pathyways to later adverse outcomes (The BABBLE Study). Funder Wellcome Institutional Strategic Support Fund Cardiff University. £50,000.
2016: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Family Nurse Partnership in Scotland: A natural experiment (FNP Scotland). Funder: Scottish Government Child and Maternal Health Division.
2011: Acute diarrhoea and vomiting in children (The ADVICE Study). Funder: Wales School of Primary Care Research (WSPCR). £24,000.