21.11.13
Get ‘every ounce of value’ from data – NHS Confederation
Better collection of data is essential to improving patient care, the NHS Confederation has stated.
In a new report, Challenging Bureaucracy, the confederation calls for maximum value to be secured from all information. Currently NHS professionals report that two-thirds of their data is useful and relevant.
There has been a significant increase in data the NHS deals with over past five years.
But the report warns that there is a “significant disconnect” between how simple and expensive national organisations consider data requests to be, and little incentive to end individual data collections.
All collections should be regularly reviewed for relevance and usefulness, and a core dataset should be developed and agreed by all relevant national bodies to reduce duplication of requests, collation and effort, the report suggests.
Greater automatisation in how the NHS collects, extracts and processes information, is another recommendation.
NHS Confederation associate director Dr Karen Castille said: “It would be all too easy to say that cutting the amount of data we collect would save the NHS millions of pounds each year, but as our research shows – and as any clinician will tell you – robust data are crucial to providing excellent care and improving patient outcomes.
“But in a modern health service, the collection and analysis of data must be timely, accurate and useful, and not out of proportion to the benefit it brings to patients and staff.
“In our detailed research, clinical staff reported that they spend between two and 10 hours each week dealing with data. It is critical that we ensure this is not wasted time by extracting every ounce of value from it and turning it into helpful information that can be used to improve care.
“Some NHS organisations already have smooth, efficient and effective technology systems for gathering, validating, reporting and sharing data. We need to encourage all NHS organisations to get on the same page.”
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive & general secretary of the RCN said that some paperwork is necessary to deliver safe care but added that it is “vital” that all of it is used to improve care.
He said: “Further work is needed urgently to investigate how the remaining 75% of the bureaucratic burden which comes from local bodies can also be addressed.
“Tackling this burden requires smarter systems, proper admin support, well designed technology and better data sharing. Without these improvements, many nurses tell us they struggle to maintain patient care due to low staffing levels and the burden of national and local bureaucracy.”
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