Part of the National Elf Service, the Commissioning Elf is an evidence-based information source for health and social care professionals working in the area of commissioning and provision of care services.
Because of the nature of the subject area, evidence to support commissioning decisions comes from a range of sources, not just clinical journals, but research from other sectors including the third sector, commercial, and education. It may not follow a structure that can easily be critically appraised, and therefore, it is important to have expert interpretation, and this is what writers for the Commissioning Elf can provide.
Which organisations are behind the Commissioning Elf?
The Commissioning Elf is funded by Minervation Ltd. It is part of the National Elf Service.
Who are in our core team?
- Alison Turner, Project Lead
- André Tomlin, Project Manager, Minervation Ltd
Who writes for the Commissioning Elf?
- Caroline De Brún, Knowledge and Information Specialist, Public Health England
- Sarah McDonald, Clinical Psychologist
- Caroline Storer, Knowledge Management Consultant at NHS Digital
- Christopher Sampson, Health Economist at the University of Nottingham
- Alison Turner, Head of the Evidence Analysis team within the Strategy Unit at NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit
Interested in joining our team of bloggers?
Find out more about writing for the Commissioning Elf.
What sources do we search for evidence?
We identify content for the Commissioning Elf, from the following sources:
Journals
- BMC Family Practice
- BMC Health Services Research
- BMC Public Health
- BMJ Open
- British Medical Journal
- Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation
- Health and Quality of Life Outcomes
- Health Research Policy and Systems
- Implementation Science
- JRSM Open
- Milbank Quarterly
- New England Journal of Medicine Health Policy and Reform
Databases
Key organisations
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- Audit Commission
- Centre for Economics and Business Research
- CIVITAS
- Commissioning Zone
- Commonwealth Fund
- Health Foundation
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- King’s Fund
- LSE Centre for Economic Performance
- National Audit Office
- NESTA
- NHS Clinical Commissioners
- NHS Confederation
- NHS Networks
- NHS Providers
- NHS Right Care
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
- Nuffield Trust for Research and Policy Studies in Health Services
- Policy Exchange
- Primary Care Foundation
- Quebec Population Health Research Network (QPHRN)
- RAND publications
- Reform
- University of Birmingham Health Services Management Centre
- University of British Columbia Centre for Health Care Management
Suggest a new source or a specific piece of evidence for inclusion
We are always on the look-out for new journals, websites or databases to scan for high quality research, policy and guidance relevant to commissioning health service in the UK. We are also keen to hear about specific articles and publications that you think we should be blogging about.
Please email us at feedback@thecommissioningelf.net if you have any suggestions for sources or papers we should be including, or if you are interested in becoming a blogger for the Commissioning Elf, please read Thinking about writing for the National Elf Service.
