Disputed aetiology and other
Main inclusion criteria
Conditions of unknown or disputed aetiology (such as chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis), or research that is not of Generic Health Relevance and not applicable to the top 19 health categories with specific pathological / physiological determinants.
Advice on health categories
The Disputed Aetiology and Other category is rarely used and should only be used in specific circumstances that cannot be attributed to any of the 19 named health categories or Generic Health Relevance. There are three such circumstances suggested here. Research that does not fall into the preceding 20 health categories or these specified uses of Other should be considered outside of scope for HRCS coding.
(1) Unknown or disputed Aetiology
The most frequent circumstance where coding to Other is appropriate are conditions of unknown or disputed aetiology. Conditions include:
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Myalgic Encephalopathy / Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome / Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome: It is not known how these conditions are triggered; some experts have suggested they are a result of a virus but this does not explain why symptoms get worse after the virus has resolved. The aetiology of the condition has not been agreed.
- Gulf war syndrome/illness: This is a multi-symptom disorder affecting returning military personnel and civilians from the Gulf war. The condition has long lasting symptoms and has been recognised by the Department of Defence but there is not agreement on the underlying cause or a formal definition of the condition. Note this is a separate condition distinct from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD, which should be coded as Mental Health).
(2) Animal Welfare
In general studies of animal welfare should be assigned the Other category. This applies to studies with direct focus on laboratory animals and the use of animals in human health research. The wider field of veterinary research is outside the scope of HRCS.
See the guidance topic on Animal Welfare for further details.
(3) Social Services Research
Not all social services research will be within scope of HRCS. Only social services research with a health relevant component should be classified, and most health-relevant social research will be applicable to the general population and therefore classified under Generic Health Relevance.
However Other also includes some types of social services research focuses on specific ‘healthy’ at risk groups that is not of relevance to the general population. Examples of such research include:
- Research into services for young people at risk of domestic violence.
- Research into services for minorities at risk of hate crime.
Official terminology
|
Full name |
Short Name | Unique ID |
| Disputed aetiology and other | Other |
HRCS_HC_21OTH |
Related external links
Main inclusion criteria
- Research applicable to all diseases and conditions or to general health and well-being of individuals.
- Public health research, epidemiology and health services research that is not focused on specific conditions.
- Underpinning biological, psychosocial, economic or methodological studies that are not specific to individual diseases or conditions.
Advice on health categories
There are four main circumstances where the Generic Health Relevance category is most applicable:
- Research that is relevant to all diseases and conditions or to general health and well-being.
- For example, many studies with research activity coded as 1 Underpinning involves study of normal processes that may be relevant to all diseases and conditions e.g. cell cycle or DNA repair, developmental biology.
- Any research that cannot be attributed to a particular disease or condition or to normal function of a specific type of cell or system, defined by the top 19 health categories.
- e.g. Studies of wounds and healing without a specified tissue type or specifically caused by Accident or Injuries.
- If research is judged relevant to more than five Health Categories then these should be substituted for 100% Generic Health Relevance.
- As an additional code for studies with a disease(s)/condition(s) of focus which also has relevance to many other diseases/conditions.
- This final circumstance has considerable scope, so additional guidance is given below.
Generic Health Relevance as an additional code
If the main focus of the research is directed at several specified diseases and also has implications for many other conditions, the appropriate specific Health Categories should be used as well as applying the Generic category. (Note that this does not apply to diseases that may be listed within the background information or are noted as ‘being relevant’ to the study under investigation; many awards will reference multiple conditions to provide a context for the research, but always apply coding based on the lifetime of the award – (see the coding guidance on assigning health categories.)
Examples of this use of Generic Health Relevance coding appears across the HRCS guidance, including:
- Cancer studies – Studies of the normal role of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes in a non-diseased cell may be coded as 50% Cancer and neoplasms and 50% Generic.
- Pollution – If there is no other indication of the health effects of air pollution, code 50% Respiratory for the direct effects on the lungs and 50% Generic for other effects.
- Environmental radiation – Studies of the effects of environmental radiation exposure should be coded 33.33% Cancer, 33.33% Congenital Disorders and 33.33% Generic.
- Studies where a particular condition is used as an exemplar or case study to evaluate models, services and systems may also be coded as Generic – see Case studies, exemplars and tracer conditions guidance for more details.
Official terminology
|
Full name of category |
Short name | Unique ID |
| Generic health relevance | Generic |
HRCS_HC_20GEN |
Related external links
None.
Main inclusion criteria
Includes both ischaemic stroke (caused by blood clots) and haemorrhagic stroke (caused by cerebral/intercranial haemorrhage).
Advice on health categories
When coding research involving circulation or blood flow, only studies investigating blood flow to the brain should be coded as Stroke.
While general blood circulation and cardiovascular disease research should be coded as Cardiovascular, research involving blood flow to brain should be coded as Stroke. Therefore haemorrhagic stroke will generally be coded as 100% Stroke unless there is a clear pre-existing condition, in which case the guidance on sequelae should be followed:
e.g. Research on stroke resulting from brain haemorrhage should be coded as 100% Stroke.
e.g. Research on stroke as the direct result of pre-existing circulatory disorder should be coded as 50% Cardiovascular and 50% Stroke.
While general studies of clotting and thromboses should be coded as Blood, research involving blood flow to brain should be coded as Stroke. Therefore ischaemic stroke will generally be coded as 100% Stroke unless there is a clear pre-existing condition, in which case the guidance on sequelae should be followed:
e.g. Research on stroke resulting from thrombosis should be coded as 100% Stroke.
e.g. Research on stroke as the direct result of pre-existing clotting disorder should be coded as 50% Blood and 50% Stroke.
Similarly, research on symptoms of stroke on stroke survivors should also be coded as Stroke. However, the specific symptoms (e.g. behavioural changes, mobility issues, further circulatory problems) and interventions used to treat them may be applicable to other health categories too. Use the guidance on case studies and/or sequelae to assess whether alternative or additional coding is required.
Official terminology
|
Full name of category |
Short name | Unique ID |
| Stroke | Stroke |
HRCS_HC_19STR |
Related external links
Main inclusion criteria
Dermatological conditions and normal skin development and function.
Advice on health categories
Many dermatological conditions are associated with an inflammatory or allergic response. Code to the disease under investigation and not to the accompanying response. This means conditions such as psoriasis and eczema would normally be coded as 100% Skin. However studies of allergies in patients with dermatological conditions can be coded as 50% Inflammatory and Immune System for allergies and 50% Skin.
Similarly infections of the skin should be coded as 100% Infection. However studies of skin infections for patients with pre-existing dermatological conditions can be coded as 50% Infection and 50% Skin.
Studies of ulcers would normally be coded to Skin. However in studies of ulcers in a particular patient population, such as diabetics, the guidance for sequelae and side effects of disease should be followed and the study should be coded to include the additional health category for the underlying condition:
e.g. Venous ulcers would be coded 50% Skin, 50% Cardiovascular.
e.g. Diabetic skin ulcers would be coded 50% Skin, 50% Metabolic and Endocrine.
Official terminology
|
Full name of category |
Short name | Unique ID |
| Skin | Skin |
HRCS_HC_18SKI |
Related external links
Main inclusion criteria
Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), respiratory diseases and normal development and function of the respiratory system.
Advice on health categories
Includes studies of the upper and lower respiratory tract, including nasal cavity, sinuses, larynx, vocal cords, trachea and lungs. Studies of the elements of the throat shared with the digestive system (e.g. pharynx and epiglottis) may be coded as Oral and Gastrointestinal depending on the context of the research.
Studies of allergies in asthma sufferers can be coded as 50% Inflammatory and Immune System for allergies and 50% Respiratory for asthma.
Excludes pulmonary hypertension which should be coded as Cardiovascular.
Excludes respiratory infections which should be coded as Infection.
Note there is specific guidance for coding research related to smoking, tobacco and smoking-related diseases.
Official terminology
|
Full name of category |
Short Name | Unique ID |
| Respiratory | Respiratory |
HRCS_HC_17RES |
Related external links
Main inclusion criteria
Fertility, contraception, abortion, in vitro fertilisation, pregnancy, mammary gland development, menstruation and menopause, breast feeding, antenatal care, childbirth, postnatal care and complications of newborns.
Advice on health categories
Includes studies of ante and post natal care such as issues affecting newborns.
Includes studies of the effects of exposure to factors while in utero if focussed on the foetus or newborns. If the study is about the long term effects on children or adults, where the foetus is not involved in the investigation, the Reproductive Health and Childbirthcategory should not be used.
Studies of sexual health should be coded 50% Reproductive Health and Childbirth and 50% Infection, unless the study involves a specified pathogenic agent (such studies should be coded as 100% Infection).
May include studies of reproductive hormones.
Excludes basic developmental studies in non-human models.
Official terminology
|
Full name of category |
Short name | Unique ID |
| Reproductive health and childbirth | Reproduction |
HRCS_HC_16REP |
Related external links
International Classification of Diseases (ICD 10 v2016) – Chapter XV: Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O99)
International Classification of Diseases (ICD 10 v2016) – Chapter XVI: Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P00-P96)
Main inclusion criteria
Kidney disease, pelvic inflammatory disease, renal and genital disorders, and normal development and function of male and female renal and urogenital system.
Advice on health categories
Includes female and male sexual organs and associated diseases where the research is not directly linked to reproductive issues such as developmental studies.
Official terminology
|
Full name of category |
Short name | Unique ID |
| Renal and urogenital | Renal |
HRCS_HC_15REN |
Related external links
Main inclusion criteria
Inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, diseases of the mouth, teeth, oesophagus, digestive system including liver and colon, and normal oral and gastrointestinal development and function.
Advice on health categories
Includes dental research and studies on the mouth, throat, stomach, liver, pancreas (not diabetes/insulin related), gut and colon.
Also suitable for problems linked to food absorption by the gut.
Official terminology
|
Full name of category |
Short Name | Unique ID |
| Oral and gastrointestinal | Oral |
HRCS_HC_14ORA |
Related external links
Main inclusion criteria
Dementias, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, Parkinson’s disease, neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and studies of the normal brain and nervous system.
Advice on health categories
This category is suitable for studies of the ‘wiring’ of the brain.
Includes studies of TSEs, CJD and prion protein.
Studies on circadian rhythm are often but not always Neurological.
Other conditions where disruption to circadian rhythm is linked to disease should be coded to the appropriate health category. For example, circadian influence on immune cells in rheumatoid arthritis would be coded as Inflammatory and Immune System.
Studies on headaches and migraine are often but not always Neurological.
Headaches resulting from other conditions may require alternative or additional health categories, following the rules for sequelae. For example, headaches resulting from visual impairments can be coded 50% Eye, 50% Neurological.
Studies of the Blood-Brain Barrier, vascular cognitive impairments and vascular dementia should be coded as Neurological unless there is significant additional emphasis on either circulation (50% Cardiovascular, 50% Neurological) or the blood flow to the brain (50% Neurological, 50% Stroke).
Excludes studies dealing with the brain of individuals with a psychological condition listed in the Mental Health category which should be coded as 100% Mental Health.
Official terminology
|
Full name of category |
Short name | Unique ID |
| Neurological | Neuro |
HRCS_HC_13NEU |
Related external links
Main inclusion criteria
Osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, muscular and skeletal disorders and normal musculoskeletal and cartilage development and function.
Advice on health categories
Includes research into limbs and the face.
Studies of musculoskeletal pain, such as fibromyalgia, should be classified as Musculoskeletal. However studies focussed on pain pathways in the nervous system would be classified as Neurological and pain perception would be classified as Mental Health.
Official terminology
|
Full name of category |
Short name | Unique ID |
| Musculoskeletal | Muscle |
HRCS_HC_12MUS |