The evolution of digital solutions in healthcare, from shared care records to remote monitoring devices, has created huge potential to deliver more proactive, preventative care for patients. But realising this potential requires an understanding of capability, effective management of data, and engagement with both clinicians and patients to optimise its use.
Exploring the key challenges and opportunities within the data and analytics landscape, for providers and provider collaboratives, was the focus of a recent meeting of digital and data healthcare professionals facilitated by NHS Arden & GEM.
Informatics, business intelligence (BI) and IT leaders from acute, mental health and community trusts were brought together with representatives from Commissioning Support Units (CSUs), NHS England and ICBs as part of a ‘Customer Board’ programme to share experiences and reflections.
Chaired by Strategic Advisor for Digital Programmes across Cheshire and Merseyside, Jim Hughes, the June session comprised a series of presentations and breakout sessions. Case studies included:
- Cheshire and Merseyside Data into Action – presented by Jim Hughes
- The NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) – presented by Joanne Fernihough, former Head of Demand for the FDP
- The NHS Arden & GEM Approach – presented by Helen Duckworth, Director of Data Transformation.
Breakout sessions considered strategic problems, key challenges and provider strengths with a number of key themes emerging across the morning.
Workforce challenges
The difficulty of recruiting people with strong BI skills (such as data science and AI) and supporting skills (such as IG) into the healthcare sector was a key concern and challenge shared by all participants. As was allocating collective resources across a system. Continuing to share strategies, not just for attraction but also for skills development and retention, was an agreed future task for the group.
Accessing, sharing and standardising data across a system
Allowing access to real-time data for frontline care can be challenging, dependent upon the digital systems being used, but there was agreement on the benefits that this can deliver. Participants also shared their frustrations on the, often slow, process and arrangements for data sharing within systems.
The development of centralised data warehouses and focused effort on standardising data models across providers are ways of overcoming some of these challenges to enable data integration that can support patient-centred approaches to improving population health. This also requires flexible solutions for data extraction so that local analysts can develop meaningful dashboards.
Securing clinical and operational engagement for digital and data projects
Getting clinical and operational colleagues engaged in the data agenda was another common challenge across providers, driven by a range of factors including lack of data literacy, time pressures and a ‘nervousness’ about public support for use of their data.
Participants were introduced to the research commissioned by ‘Understanding public data’ which covers how ICSs currently use and share patient data with recommendations for engagement with patients and members of the public.
The importance of supporting clinical leads to be able to access the data they need to plan care and demonstrate evidence of impact was emphasised as a key drive of engagement.
National digital strategy and the FDP
Some attendees wanted to see a refreshed national digital strategy, with greater clarity on what should be done nationally and what should be done locally. There was some confusion about how national platforms, such as the FDP, would work alongside local systems and what leeway there would be for integrating local preferences. The group was encouraged to directly approach the FDP programme team with any further enquiries.
The potential role of CSUs in bridging the data and analysis gap between providers and collaboratives to support system transformation was also discussed. CSUs are also well placed to provide support for data integration and benchmarking as well as additional capacity and capability to complement in-house BI teams.
If you would like an exploratory discussion on how NHS Arden & GEM’s BI team can support your provider or provider collaborative with its data and analytics challenges, email us via either joanne.fernihough@nhs.net or darrell.jervis@nhs.net.
If you would like to join our future customer engagement sessions to share experiences with peers and help shape the support being developed by CSUs, then click here to express your interest.