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The need for data-led interventions in healthcare is higher than ever. While the pandemic has acted as a catalyst in fast-forwarding the digitalisation of many aspects of healthcare delivery, their interoperability has not come at the same speed, nor has the understanding of the data available as a result. As can be observed within the NHS, existing cracks have been widened by the pandemic. Now there is an urgent need to look at healthcare data more strategically to begin designing solutions that future-proof the system and meet the needs of all.
Integrated care systems are regional partnerships that have recently formed to unite health and social care organisations in the UK. As their primary role is to take collective responsibility for planning services with a view to improving health and reducing inequalities, integrating their data and the systems that generate them is paramount. However, using data to improve how these organisations can meet increased demand for care and how fast it is delivered is a huge challenge. To achieve a truly data-led integrated health service, it must start with the right infrastructure, connectivity and security arrangements in place to enable health and social care organisations to connect and share data.
Joined-up working and patient pathway management are just some of the benefits of a successful connection between different organisations that deliver care. Delivering the best patient care relies on having access to all relevant information, to ensure there is enhanced visibility of the holistic needs of the patient, that nothing is missed and the patient’s condition is managed in the most appropriate way possible.
The role of shared data in integrating healthcare, therefore, must not be underestimated. By connecting data insights from different areas of service provision, health organisations would be equipped with a more accurate overview of patient journeys across their borders as well as benefit from the efficacies of interventions. It would also allow a consolidated and informed view of the current and future needs of their patient population.
One fundamental requirement for this is that IT systems talk to each other to provide healthcare staff with seamless access to complete patient care records. Although the health service has forged ahead with digitisation, not all systems offer this interoperability, making the sharing of data across organisations extremely cumbersome. It is time to give this real focus if indeed the NHS is to recover at pace following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The benefits of shared data can be enormous if harnessed appropriately. In addition to patient care benefits, there are the opportunities to make health services more efficient in how they use resources. The number of people waiting for planned care in England within the NHS has grown to record levels and currently stands at 7,000,000 (August 2022). Knowing at a glance where demand for health services is rising and where capacity to treat patients is available will be key to optimising available resources. This is the aim of programmes such as regional-level waiting list sharing, and the advent of specialist surgical and diagnostic hubs serving a much wider population. A co-ordinated approach supported by the effective transfer of information will also ensure that the risks of deterioration in those on waiting lists are managed effectively and safely and by the appropriate healthcare professional.
Additionally, analysis of backlogs within the health service show that waiting lists have grown more rapidly in areas of high deprivation, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. While the origins of health inequalities are complex, and cannot be wholly addressed by the health service, good data, and its analysis, play a key role in both identifying and reducing health inequalities as well as in tackling the elective care backlog. Currently, health systems are required to show that their recovery plans address inequalities and prioritise service delivery to deprived and minority ethnic populations where appropriate, which is predicated upon their ability to share this data regionally. The ability to examine data from multiple sources will provide a better understanding of the social determinants of health, the needs of the population and, therefore, how to respond appropriately.
The health service has access to a vast amount of data which can be moulded into valuable insights to drive action. There can sometimes be a tendency to focus on individual data points, national targets, or organisations, but as work begins on delivering integrated care, we must zoom out. We must take a system-wide view to account for the needs of the population that is being served both now and in the future when designing interventions and services. Using data strategically to drive improvements and well-considered interventions are key to healing the cracks within the health service.
For more information on how Acumentice can help convert data into insights in the healthcare sector, please visit www.acumentice.com.
Originally published on Business Reporter
