Developing informatics skills and capability - The English way

Health Informatics & Technology Conference

October 20-22, 2014 Double Tree by Hilton Baltimore - BWI Airport, USA

Ira Laketic-Ljubojevic

Accepted Abstracts: J Health Med Informat

Abstract :

Better joined up and integrated services to meet the needs of people is a key ambition for British policy makers and practitioners working across health, care and support landscapes. Health and care informatics is a ?golden thread? that should be used to connect and optimise all key areas of the public sector, as a vehicle for greater systems and service integration and as a way to ensure successful implementation of national and local policies and strategies. In the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), we believe that our data, information and technology services underpin the delivery of publicly funded health and social care services across England. We believe we have a responsibility to work with our partners to agree and implement a longer-term strategy that supports and enables the transformation of health and social care over the next decade. Informatics workforce, its skills and capability development, need to be part of that approach. The core business of the HSCIC is informatics. The HSCIC has an ambition, not only to remain relevant to the health and care system and to withstand potential Government and policy changes, but also to noticeably contribute to the growth of both the informatics industry and the wider UK economy. Furthermore, we as an organisation have both a duty and a clear role in developing the health and social care informatics profession ? for us, for the health and care system and to support UK Plc. Developing informatics skills and capability function substantially contributes to that agenda. The presentation focuses on English (British) state of play and will cover: ? Priorities: It is clear that informatics capacity and capability across health, care and support is critical to the successful implementation of national and local policy and strategy. The risk to safety and to service outcomes posed by poor informatics practice has emerged as one of key aspects of quality. ? Professionalism: Informatics professionals are an important staff group who deserve to be recognised and valued for their contribution to business of health, care and support. Although informatics specialists generally do not have hands-on contact with patients and service users, they do affect person?s care and outcomes indirectly through their professional activities. Therefore, development and professionalization of informatics specialists is critical to ensuring safe and effective delivery of technology-enabled, evidence-based, joined-up person-centred care and improved decision making. ? Models and Tools: The ways we develop informatics workforce capacity, capability and composition will be crucial in how we prepare for future challenges that face us as a society across health, public health & social care and support landscapes. Approaches and tools we have can help individuals, teams, organisations and the whole health and care communities embrace new ways of working and thinking now to respond to ?big picture? challenges of tomorrow