A hospital trust that became the first and only organisation in Europe to achieve a HIMSS stage six validation for its use of data and its approach to data science has collaborated on a white paper to support other trusts in their digital evolution.
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT), which runs Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax, achieved the validation for HIMSS’ Adoption Model for Analytics Maturity (AMAM), which recognised the contribution made by The Health Informatics Service (THIS) hosted by CHFT.
HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) is a not-for-profit, global advisor, thought leader and member-based society committed to reforming the global health ecosystem through the power of data and technology.
Its members include 550-plus health services organisations, 430-plus provider organisations, 500-plus not-for-profit partners, and more than 125,000 individuals.
HIMSS validations range from zero to seven and its certifications are arrived at via a series of pre-validation exercises and an on-site visit. The validation focuses on four key areas:
- Infrastructure
- Governance
- Capability
- Data content
Rob Birkett, Chief Digital and Information Officer for CHFT and THIS, says:
“The reason why HIMSS is so well thought of is that its validations are approached from a patient centred perspective.
“It ensures you are using technology and data to improve patient care and safety, patient experience, patient outcomes; that you are you using it to make operational decisions and using data to reshape patient pathways and reconfigure service delivery that benefits patients.
“It’s the culmination of a 10-year journey to embed technology and data science within in our culture. We knew it was the right thing to do, and we’ve absolutely stuck with it.
"In a letter confirming the stage six validation, HIMSS’ EMEA Senior Director, John Rayner, said: “On being validated at stage six, you are clearly demonstrating your commitment to improving patient safety and the overall quality of clinical care through the effective use of advanced analytics, appropriate governance and robust infrastructure.
“…In conclusion the assessment team were immensely impressed by the culture of the organisation especially those working within The Health Informatics Service, who demonstrated a real ‘can do’ entrepreneurial attitude to data management and knowledge acquisition.”
The white paper includes chapters on how CHFT, with support from THIS, has used data science and analytics to reduce appointment backlogs, tackle health inequalities, create departmental efficiencies and improve outcomes to a range of issues, such as mortality ratios, with predictive modelling.
The data would suggest…
The paper begins by explaining how almost every presentation staged within CHFT and THIS features a second or third slide that says, ‘the data would suggest’ followed by a raft of information to support it.
It goes on to say:
“…Gathering data is NOT about ‘feeding the beast’ – the idiom for devoting or contributing an undue amount of time, resource and/or energy to a self-perpetuating pursuit and/or situation.
“Within CHFT, any misconception that data is a tool that can be used against us has long been displaced.
“Instead, it is actually about improving operational efficiency, releasing time to care, ensuring people are doing the jobs they're employed to do.”
It then identifies three important inputs to help any trust achieve a data-driven culture, which you will find by downloading the white paper.
Putting the power of data ‘front and centre’
Writing in the white paper’s conclusion, Rob Birkett says:
“Across CHFT and some of our partners, for over a decade, we have had the power of data front and centre in supporting our colleagues to improve patient care and outcomes for the population we serve.
“We think this will only continue and develop further in order to meet our current and future challenges, both operational and financial.
“Predictive analytics, intelligent modelling and the use of AI will go some way to enable the change required to meet the new 10-year plan for the NHS, including the continued shift from analogue to digital to support operational and clinical transformation.
“We often focus on the speed of development across digital and technology and miss the changing landscape of how we should use data in the NHS. In our day-to-day lives the progressive use of our data has very much kept up.”
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