Sight Loss Data Tool Version 3: How to use the data tool

March 2016Version 1.0

RNIB – supporting blind and partially sighted peopleRegistered charity number 226227

2

ContentsContents........................................................................................21. Introduction...............................................................................3

1.1. Guidance notes....................................................................32. Getting the data tool.................................................................43. Opening the data tool...............................................................5

3.1 Excel......................................................................................53.2 Enabling macros....................................................................5

3.2.1 Keyboard users: enabling macros..................................53.2.2 Mouse users: enabling macros.......................................6

3.3 Structure of the data tool.......................................................74. Full report..................................................................................8

4.1 Selecting an area..................................................................84.1.1 Keyboard users: select an area in full report..................84.1.2 Mouse users: select an area in full report.......................8

4.2 Viewing the full report............................................................94.3 Missing data..........................................................................94.4 Printing the report..................................................................9

5. Custom tables.........................................................................115.1 Selecting areas....................................................................11

5.1.1 Keyboard users: selecting an area in custom tables....115.1.2 Mouse users: selecting an area in custom tables.........12

5.2 Viewing custom tables.........................................................125.3 Printing custom tables.........................................................12

6. Benchmarking report..............................................................146.1 Selecting an area................................................................14

5.1.1 Keyboard users: selecting a benchmarking area..........155.1.2 Mouse users: selecting a benchmarking area..............15

6.2 Viewing the benchmarking report........................................166.3 Printing the benchmarking report........................................16

7. Datasets...................................................................................188. Exporting to other formats.....................................................199. Feedback and further information.........................................19

rnib.org.uk

3

1. Introduction‘How to use the data tool’ is a user guide offering a short introduction to RNIB’s Sight Loss Data Tool. It will help you to make the most of the features in the data tool and to access the information you need.

RNIB’s Sight Loss Data Tool provides information about blind and partially sighted people and those at risk of sight loss at a local level throughout the UK.

The data tool is aimed at supporting expert local knowledge by providing a range of different indicators. These indicators are broadly either based on official statistics (for example, Office of National Statistics population projections, register of blind and partially sighted people) or modelled estimates based on existing research (for example, number of people living with sight loss).

These indicators can support a number of different activities, including: Improving our understanding of blind and partially sighted

people and those at risk of sight loss in your area. Accessing local, relevant, evidence based statistics to engage

with funders or commissions. Accessing population data to use in planning services or

strategy development.

We have tried to ensure that the data tool is as accessible as possible. However, we are limited by the functionality of MS Excel. If you have any problems in accessing the information, please do contact us at research@rnib.org.uk and we will be happy to help.

1.1. Guidance notesThere is a comprehensive set of guidance notes that accompany the Sight Loss Data Tool. These guidance notes provide further details of the sources of data and evidence, calculations that have been used to develop the indicators and limitations that may need to be considered when interpreting the data.

rnib.org.uk

4

A copy of these guidance notes can be downloaded from www.rnib.org.uk/datatool.

rnib.org.uk

5

2. Getting the data tool RNIB will publish amendments to the Sight Loss Data Tool throughout the year as new evidence becomes available. We recommend that you check to see that you are using the most up to date version. The latest version of the Sight Loss Data Tool can always be found at www.rnib.org.uk/datatool.

Planned updates for 2016 are due to be published: 4th July 3rd October

Alternatively, you can sign up to RNIB’s research news notifications so you can be alerted when new versions become available on the RNIB website. You can sign up for email alerts at www.rnib.org.uk/research.

rnib.org.uk

6

3. Opening the data tool

3.1 ExcelYou will need a copy of Microsoft Excel to use the Sight Loss Data Tool. It may open in other spreadsheets, such as Numbers or Google Docs, but it will not be fully functional in these programs. Therefore we recommend only using the data tool in MS Excel.

The spreadsheet was developed in Excel 2007, and for optimal performance we would suggest using the data tool in this or a later version of Excel. The data tool will work in older versions of Excel, but we cannot guarantee full compatibility.

3.2 Enabling macrosMacros are used in the data tool to generate the full report, custom tables and benchmarking report. Unless you have changed your security settings, Excel disables all macros in order to protect your computer from content from potentially untrustworthy sources. In order to use the reporting functions of the data tool, you will need to enable macros for this spreadsheet.

Upon opening the spreadsheet there will be a security warning, which will give you the option to enable macros for the data tool. When you select security options, you should be prompted by an alert that will give you the option to enable macros for this file.

3.2.1 Keyboard users: enabling macros

1. Save the document somewhere you can access, close it down and reopen it.

2. When the document is reopened, a security warning should appear saying macros have been disabled. Hold the ALT key for two seconds to access the toolbar.

3. Then press CTRL and TAB to access the security warning and RETURN or SPACE to open the security options.

4. In the options menu, select the correct option by either pressing TAB until the 'enable macros' option is reached, or press CTRL and E.

rnib.org.uk

7

5. Finally, press RETURN or SPACE to select ok, which should enable macros for your document.

6. Test whether macros have been enabled by going to the full report.

7. In cell B3, you should be able to select a local authority area from the list either by typing it in or by pressing ALT and DOWN to go into the list.

8. Press ENTER or SPACE when the area has been selected.9. Then go down to row 7 to see if the executive summary has

appeared. If it has, macros have been enabled correctly.

The exact nature of the security warning and what action you need to take depend on what version of MS Excel you are using.

If you are unable to enable macros using these methods or would like to view the reports in an alternative format, please contact us on research@rnib.org.uk.

3.2.2 Mouse users: enabling macros

1. Save the document somewhere you can access, close it down and reopen it.

2. When the document is reopened, a security warning should appear saying macros have been disabled. Click on the security options button.

3. Click on the 'enable macros' option then click ok.4. Test whether macros have been enabled by going to the full

report. 5. Click on the Select Local Authority button. If a pop-up box

appears then the macros are working correctly. Select a local area from the drop down list to view the report which begins in row 7.

The exact nature of the security warning and what action you need to take depend on what version of MS Excel you are using.

If you are unable to enable macros using these methods or would like to view the reports in an alternative format, please contact us on research@rnib.org.uk.

rnib.org.uk

8

3.3 Structure of the data toolThe data tool is structured into a number of different worksheets. These worksheets appear as tabs at the bottom of the screen and contain the various reports and data. The worksheets are:

i. Introduction ii. Instructions 1. Full report 2. Custom tables 3. Benchmarking report 3.1 Deprivation deciles 4. Area profile 5. Registrations and CVI 6. Estimates, conditions, cost 7. Customer groups 8. Other 9. NHS sight tests 10. Direct cost 11. Eye clinics

When opening the data tool, the “introduction” worksheet will be open as default. This provides an overview of the information held in the data tool, links for further information and contact details for any questions. The “instructions” worksheet details instructions for enabling macros (the same as can be found in section 3.2) and some general instructions on using excel. The other numbered worksheets are described in the remainder of this ‘how to use the data tool’ user guide (sheets 1 to 11).

The contents and structure of the data tool have been protected. This means that users cannot inadvertently change or edit formulas, code or data. If you do want to manipulate the data for whatever reason, you can copy and paste it into your own separate spreadsheet.

rnib.org.uk

9

4. Full reportThe “1.Full Report” worksheet enables users to run a tailored report based on the selection of a single local authority area. A summary of all the information in the Sight Loss Data Tool will be displayed, in text and table format, with comparison to the relevant region and country.

For some indicators, local authorities have been linked to administrative health areas due to the format in which the data was published by official statistics agencies. The names of these agencies can be found in the sources/references sections for the relevant indicator in the data tool and the guidance notes.

4.1 Selecting an areaYou can select a local authority area in two ways. It can be typed in freely or a drop down list can be used.

If you want to select a different area, simply repeat the below steps and the spreadsheet will update to your new selection.

4.1.1 Keyboard users: select an area in full reportKeyboard users can go to “Select local authority” in cell B3 to enter the local authority name. This can be done by free typing, however the authority spelling must match the spelling of the authority in the data tool i.e. “City of Edinburgh” or “Newcastle upon Tyne” or “Brighton and Hove”.

Alternatively, keyboard users can access the drop down list by pressing ALT and the DOWN key in cell B3. The list is alphabetical containing all local authorities in the UK and can be navigated using the down and up keys.

4.1.2 Mouse users: select an area in full reportMouse users can click on the “Select local authority” button in row six of the report. This will open a popup box where you can either type the name of the local authority or select from a dropdown list. This option is more accessible for users with low vision and users with screen magnification as the font size in the popup is larger.

rnib.org.uk

10

4.2 Viewing the full report Whichever method is used to select an area, the end result will be the same. A report for your local area will be produced with a range of text and data.

The report begins with an executive summary and is followed by up to twelve themed sections of the report. Most of the data items in the data tables are described in text. However some data items may not be, for example comparative regional data. Users can explore the data items in the tables which will appear in rows directly below the text.

4.3 Missing dataWhere data is not available in some countries, we have hidden this from the report to prevent blank pages when viewing or printing a report. For example, section 3 of the report on Certifications of Vision Impairment will not appear for Scottish or Northern Irish local authorities as the data is not published. The same applies for section 4 on registers of blind and partially sighted people for Northern Ireland as this data is not published.

In many instances, an ‘x’ may appear in the tables or in the text of the report due to missing values in published official statistics. This occurs because data is not available for the local area and in some instances the whole indicator may be hidden in the report.

Some of the local authority areas have a very small population, for example Isles of Scilly and City of London. A local authority report based on these areas will result in a number of ‘x’ values or blank cells due to missing data or suppressed data due to low numbers.

4.4 Printing the reportThe full report in the Sight Loss Data Tool is designed to be printed. Simply print the spreadsheet as normal once you have selected a local authority.

The “prepare to print” button in row six can be used to re-calculate page breaks in the worksheet based on the local authority

rnib.org.uk

11

selected. This should keep section titles with the text directly below and minimise white space in the printed report. This feature is based on a complex macro and may take a few minutes to run. Unfortunately, sometimes this “prepare to print” feature causes excel to crash. If this happens, you can attempt to use the feature on the same local authority again. However, it may not run successfully, in which case page breaks can be altered manually.

Page breaks can be changed manually prior to printing. In Excel 2007 or later, go to the “View” tab in the toolbar and select “Page break preview” to make these adjustments.

We do offer the option to receive a printed full report in the post for users who are unable to access the report in excel, or providing it in an alternative more accessible electronic format. To discuss this option, please contact us on research@rnib.org.uk.

rnib.org.uk

12

5. Custom tablesThe custom report can be found in the “2.Custom Tables” worksheet. This report has been developed to allow users to select up to ten geographical areas to view all available indicators for comparison. This data is tabulated and no text is provided. Also, data is not hidden for any areas even if there are no results to show. An ‘x’ will appear in the cell where there is no valid data.

5.1 Selecting areasSelecting areas in a custom report works in exactly the same way as selecting an area in the full report, however you can select up to ten areas for comparison.

Different types of geographical area can be selected in addition to local authority areas. These include countries, regions, metropolitan areas (i.e. Greater Manchester), district councils and borough councils.

If you want to select different areas or more areas, simply repeat the below steps and the spreadsheet will update to your new selection.

5.1.1 Keyboard users: selecting an area in custom tablesKeyboard users can go to “select area” in cells B3 through to B12 to enter the area name. This can be done by free typing, however the area spelling must match the spelling of the authority in the data tool i.e. “City of Edinburgh” or “North East” or “Belfast and Outer Belfast” (a region for Northern Ireland).

Alternatively, keyboard users can access the drop down list by pressing ALT and the DOWN key in cells B3 through to B12. The list is not alphabetical as in the full report. Instead, it is ordered by country and region, beginning with “United Kingdom”, moving on to “England” and “North East” followed by all areas in the North East. After all English regions have been listed, all areas in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (in that order) are listed. The list can be navigated using the down and up keys.

rnib.org.uk

13

5.1.2 Mouse users: selecting an area in custom tablesMouse users can click on the “select areas” button in column E/F of the report. This will open a popup box with ten blank areas. Users can either type the name of each area or select from a dropdown list. Any number of areas can be selected. This option is more accessible for users with low vision and users with screen magnification as the font size in the popup is larger.

5.2 Viewing custom tablesWhichever method is used to select the areas, the end result will be the same. A list of tables for the local areas will be produced ordered by theme. The headings for the tables can be found in column A beginning in row 14. Then, all the selected areas will be listed in column A, below the heading, and the row below the heading will list the indicator names.

Note: The tables beginning in rows 313 and 519 will list administrative health areas linked to the local area selected, if applicable. More than one health area can be linked to a local area. In these tables, the name of the areas you selected will be in column B to show you which local area the health areas apply to.

5.3 Printing custom tablesThe custom tables in the Sight Loss Data Tool have not been specifically designed to be printed due to the large volume of data items.

Users would be advised to copy the indicators of interest to a new Excel workbook and prepare their own more accessible printing format. Data should be pasted using the “paste values” option. For mouse users, this can be found by right clicking where you want to paste the data and clicking “paste special” from the list. Alternatively, keyboard users can go to where you want to paste and hold CONTROL, ALT and V to open up the paste special box. Then “paste values” can be selected from the options using the down key.

If users do want to print the entire output, it is possible to print the spreadsheet as normal with areas selected. However, the printed output may be very small or across a number of pages on A4

rnib.org.uk

14

paper. Users can adjust print options in the printing popup box. It is advised that the orientation of the page is be landscape and the scaling is be set to “fit all columns on one page” to view the entire width of the table on one piece of A4 paper.

Users can also manually change page breaks prior to printing. In Excel 2007 or later, go to the “View” tab in the toolbar and select “Page break preview” to make these adjustments.

We do offer the option to receive printed custom tables in the post for users who are unable to access the report in excel, or providing it in an alternative more accessible electronic format. To discuss this option, please contact us on research@rnib.org.uk.

rnib.org.uk

15

6. Benchmarking reportThe benchmarking report can be found in the “3.Benchmarking” worksheet. This report allows users to compare six key benchmarked indicators across all local authorities in an English region or all local authorities in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Users are also able to compare similar local authorities based on levels of deprivation (England only).

6.1 Selecting an areaSelecting areas in the benchmarking report works in exactly the same way as selecting an area in the full report, however you have a choice of two different area types to select from.

Firstly, a region/country benchmarking report can be used to compare neighbouring local areas. The benchmarking reports have been split based on the number of local authorities in each area. If you are interested in an English area, you can select an English region (i.e. “North East”), or if you are interested in a Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish area, you can select the appropriate country.

Secondly, a benchmarking report has been created based on the English indices of multiple deprivation to compare English local authorities with similar levels of deprivation. This report only uses the England benchmarking figures (not the Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland figures) because of incomparable deprivation data and the large number of local authorities in England. A list linking all English local authorities to the appropriate deprivation decile can be found in worksheet “3.1Deprivation Deciles”.

For more information on interpreting the benchmarking report by country/region or by deprivation decile, please refer to section 15 of the guidance notes which can be downloaded from www.rnib.org.uk/datatool.

If you want to select a different area, simply repeat the below steps and the spreadsheet will update to your new selection.

rnib.org.uk

16

5.1.1 Keyboard users: selecting a benchmarking areaKeyboard users can go to “select a country or region” in cell B3 to enter the country or region name, or go to “select a deprivation decile” in cell B4 to select a group of English authorities to compare based on levels of deprivation. The full list of countries/regions is:

1. Wales2. Scotland3. Northern Ireland4. East Midlands5. East of England6. London7. North East8. North West9. South East1. South West2. West Midlands3. Yorkshire and The Humber

The list of deprivation deciles in cell B4 consists of ten different categories from “most deprived” to “least deprived”.

The drop down list in cell B3 and B4 can be accessed by pressing ALT and the DOWN key to read the options and select an area from the list. The list can be navigated using the down and up keys.

5.1.2 Mouse users: selecting a benchmarking areaMouse users can click on the “select a country or region” button to enter the country or region name, or “select a deprivation decile” button to select a group of English authorities to compare based on levels of deprivation.

These buttons will open a popup box. Users can read the area options in the dropdown list and make a selection. This option is more accessible for users with low vision and users with screen magnification as the font size in the popup is larger.

rnib.org.uk

17

6.2 Viewing the benchmarking reportWhichever method is used to select the area and whether the area is a region, country or deprivation decile, the end result will be the same. A report including a number of different local authorities will be produced for the six key indicators.

The benchmarking report will display a table with the local authorities in column A and six indicators listed in row nine. The rate of each indicator per thousand or per hundred thousand population for each area can be found in the table.

The benchmarking report compares this rate to the national average to determine whether there is a statistical difference between the rates. The national benchmark will either be England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. The indicators can either be statistically similar, lower or higher than the national average. This is shown with colour (the key can be found at the bottom of the table) or with text in the cell directly to the right of the indicator. For example, cell B12 shows a rate of 84.0 people aged 75 or over per thousand people in the North East and cell B13 shows in text that this indicator is statistically higher than the national benchmark. Both cells are also coloured green to indicate that the rate is higher than the benchmark.

For more information on interpreting the benchmarking report, please refer to section 15 of the guidance notes which can be downloaded from www.rnib.org.uk/datatool.

6.3 Printing the benchmarking reportThe benchmarking report in the Sight Loss Data Tool can be printed normally.

Users can adjust print options in the printing popup box. It is advised that the orientation of the page is be landscape and the scaling is be set to “fit all columns on one page” to view the entire width of the table on one piece of A4 paper.

Users can also manually change page breaks prior to printing. In Excel 2007 or later, go to the “View” tab in the toolbar and select “Page break preview” to make these adjustments.

rnib.org.uk

18

We do offer the option to receive a printed benchmarking report in the post for users who are unable to access the report in excel, or providing it in an alternative more accessible electronic format. To discuss this option, please contact us on research@rnib.org.uk.

rnib.org.uk

19

7. DatasetsThe reports and custom tables provide an automated, accessible way to interpret the data. However, the raw data has been made available for users who are interested in viewing it in the data worksheets, numbered four through to eleven. The full report, custom tables and benchmarking report are all based on data in these worksheets.

In the raw data view, the geographic areas are listed in the rows, beginning in row four (row five in sheet eleven). The indicators are listed in columns in row three (row four in sheet eleven).

For users with screen reader software, the screen reader should read the indicator heading when moving through the cells in the raw data worksheets.

The data has been split across eight worksheets by theme. For more information on the contents of the worksheets, refer to the “introduction” worksheet in the data tool.

Worksheets nine, ten and eleven use administrative health areas, rather than local authorities, due to the format in which the data was published by official statistics agencies. For example, NHS Area Team (England), Clinical Commissioning Group (England), NHS Trust (England), Health Board (Scotland and Wales) and Health and Social Care Board (Northern Ireland). Local authorities have been automatically linked to the appropriate administrative health geography in the full report and custom tables. Tables linking local authorities to administrative health areas can be found in appendix B of the guidance notes which can be downloaded from www.rnib.org.uk/datatool.

Two conventions have been used in the datasets: X = Data does not exist for a specific area- = Data has been suppressed because of small values

rnib.org.uk

20

8. Exporting to other formatsYou can use one or a number of tables and charts in MS Word, PowerPoint, HTML email or a number of other formats by copying and pasting the information you require.

If you want to save a copy of an entire report on MS Word then you will need to do some editing in your word processor in order to make the report readable. This is due to the margins, page breaks and hidden rows used in the spreadsheet. For this reason, we would recommend copying and pasting the individual required tables, charts and sections.

We do offer the option of converting required reports and tables to alternative formats for users who are unable to access the report in excel, for example copying tables into MS Word. To discuss this option, please contact us on research@rnib.org.uk.

9. Feedback and further informationYour feedback is extremely important to RNIB. Prioritisation of the development of features included in Version 3 of this data tool was based on the feedback we received for Version 2. If different geographical boundaries would be helpful, or if publically available information you would like to see included is missing, then please let us know.

We would also like to hear which aspects of the data tool you find most useful and how you are using the evidence to have a positive impact on the lives of blind and partially sighted people in your area.

Further informationIf you have any questions about the Sight Loss Data Tool or require any additional statistics or evidence related to blind and partially sighted people or those at risk of sight loss, then please contact research@rnib.org.uk.

The best way to keep up to date with RNIB’s research, including future updates to the Sight Loss Data Tool, is to sign up for email notifications on the RNIB website. You can add your contact

rnib.org.uk

21

details at www.rnib.org.uk/research in order to receive these notifications.

rnib.org.uk