Unique Property Reference Numbers

About this course

This course was developed on behalf of the HDR UK Social and Environmental Determinants of Health (SEDH) Driver Programme in collaboration with the HDR UK Public Advisory Board and uses knowledge drawn from across the SEDH Driver Programme.

In this course, we provide insights for conducting Public Involvement and Engagement during every step of research involving Unique Property Reference Numbers.

First, we introduce the role of place-based in health data research. We explain how place-based research improves our understanding of the relationship between environmental exposures and health. Next, we define Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs), explaining how they are created and how they are used by the public sector. We detail how UPRNs are linked to health records for research and the measures taken to protect individuals’ identities at each step. Finally, we share how UPRNs are currently being used in health data research. We encourage public involvement and engagement and provide examples of questions and concerns the public might have.

We conclude with top tips for public involvement and engagement for research projects involving UPRNs. These tips were coproduced with representatives from the HDR UK Public Advisory Board, providing insights into best practices and pitfalls for researchers to avoid.

Learning Objectives

• By the end of the course, we hope you will understand:

• The concept of place-based data research and its benefits for improving our understanding of environmental health.

• What Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) are, and their potential uses in both the public sector and health data research.

• Issues related to linking UPRNs to health data and measures taken to protect data security.

• How appropriate place-based data can be used to answer questions in environmental health data research.

• How to incorporate public involvement and engagement into each step of health data research using place-based data

Intended Audience

This learning pathway is intended for audiences with an interest in health data research, though no prior knowledge of place-based data is required. While this learning pathway gives some details of data security, we assume learners will have either watched [Five Safes module] or have a similar level of understanding of the Five Safes framework.