MISSION 4:
Research and innovation in the digital and data sense involves introducing new ideas and processes to solve problems and improve services across NHS Wales. Gaining insights from the vast amounts of data collected by the NHS is crucial for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing its challenges.
The Value from Data Portfolio focuses on processing, analysing and applying this data to solve real health problems and derive value.
This mission is about improving and expanding the content, availability and functionality of the Digital Health and Care Record for clinicians and patients. This includes making information accessible and shareable wherever it’s needed, regardless of health board or geographic boundaries. It’s also about supporting evidence-based decision making and connectivity using NHS Wales e-library and Microsoft 365.
Using high-quality information, systems and technologies together supports patient care. However, patient data is often scattered across paper and digital formats, making it hard for healthcare professionals to access and use. This can lead to lost information, wrong decisions, and harm to patients.
NHS Wales wants to make digital information more accessible and widely used, to improve health and care. A Healthier Wales is Welsh Government’s long-term plan for health and social care. It includes an ambition to provide citizens with an online digital platform to contribute to and share information about their health and care, manage appointments and communicate with healthcare professionals. This will empower people to play a more active role in managing their own health and well-being.
The Value from Data portfolio focuses on the entire data life cycle, from acquiring and curating data to analysing it to provide intelligence for informed decision making. The Information and Analytics Strategy sets out the ambitions of the National Information & Analytics Service. By safely, securely sharing data within current information governance requirements, we aim to make the wealth of acquired data available to achieve this mission.
The Welsh Health and Care Intelligence Portal (WHCIP) is the central place to access published data products such as the Primary Care Information Portal and Value in Health Dashboards.
Throughout the year, the Information Services Team at DHCW undertook several initiatives to enhance healthcare delivery and decision-making processes.
The team developed various dashboards and visualisations, including the Vascular Dashboard, to improve emergency care and benchmarking. Updates were made to the Primary Care Information Portal and Audit+ modules were deployed to support quality improvement projects. Participation in conferences and awards ceremonies promoted the team’s work and highlighted the value derived from data analytics.
The successful implementation of the General Medical Practice Escalation Tool in the Primary Care Information Portal benefited all health board areas. The Health Intelligence team published several dashboards, including the Suspected Cancer Pathway and Annual APC, contributing to informed decision-making. Collaborative efforts with the Value Based Health Care and R&I teams led to winning a bid to further explore myeloma statistics and their impact, showcasing our commitment to advancing healthcare through data analysis.
The Data warehouse team conducted the first quarterly refresh of the National Community Child Health Database and began restructuring the Welsh Health and Care Intelligence Portal webpage for improved accessibility. Preparation for the Spring booster update for vaccinations commenced alongside ongoing efforts to support various programs and initiatives. Achievements included the launch of new dashboards like the Spinal Dashboard and the approval and publication of the Information and Analytics Strategy, providing a roadmap for the organisation's data analytics efforts.
Overall, our activities throughout the year demonstrate a concerted effort to leverage data analytics and innovation to drive improvements in healthcare delivery and decision-making processes.