Autoimmune disease coding and recording (FOI)

Request

It is my understanding that patients in Jersey that are diagnosed with an autoimmune disease are input into the EMIS database under a specific code. For each autoimmune disease there is a specific code. 

A

Could you please tell me how many auto immune disease codes are listed in the EMIS database that equate to a registered autoimmune disease with at least one person on the island having been diagnosed with that corresponding autoimmune disease.

B

Are there any forms of autoimmune disease records kept by a Governmental Department? 

Response

A

The EMIS system information is held by GPs rather than by the Government.  The Government of Jersey does not hold a central list of autoimmune diseases.  It is estimated that to undertake a search or all possible codes within EMIS and conducting a data quality assessment would exceed the time limit of 12.5 hours provided under the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.  Article 16 has therefore been applied.

Please also see the following link to a previous FOI request dated 29 April 2021.

Autoimmune disease (FOI)

B

Information of autoimmune disease would be held on individual patients’ records.

Articles applied

Article 10 - Obligation of scheduled public authority to confirm or deny holding information 

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), if – 

(a) a person makes a request for information to a scheduled public authority; and 

(b) the authority does not hold the information, 

it must inform the applicant accordingly. 

Article 16 A scheduled public authority may refuse to supply information if cost excessive 

(1) A scheduled public authority that has been requested to supply information may refuse to supply the information if it estimates that the cost of doing so would exceed an amount determined in the manner prescribed by Regulations. 

Regulation 2 (1) of the Freedom of Information (Costs) (Jersey) Regulations 2014 allows an authority to refuse a request for information where the estimated cost of dealing with the request would exceed the specified amount of the cost limit of £500. This is the estimated cost of one person spending 12.5 working hours in determining whether the department holds the information, locating, retrieving and extracting the information.