1. The BCS Health Informatics Forum and the UK Council for Health Informatics Professions Dr Glyn Hayes President, UKCHIP Chair, BCS Health Informatics Committee President, BCS Primary Health Care Specialist group

2. Overview The BCS and its Health Informatics Forum What is Health Informatics? Why do we need for professionalism? About UKCHIP UKCHIP voluntary registration scheme Future

3. The British Computer Society

4. Who we are Who we are Learned and Professional body Formed 1957, Royal Charter 1984 Nominated engineering institution 1990 Over 50,000 members world wide 38,000 professional members 10,500 chartered engineers Over 40 branches UK and overseas Over 50 specialist groups

5. What the BCS does Professional standards - BCS/IEE/EGov project Provide member benefits and services Represent the profession Recognise achievement Provide authoritative and timely advice Initiate debate on IS strategic issues Encourage the advancement and dissemination of IS knowledge Support individual career development

6. BCS Health Informatics Forum Health Specialist Groups –3 Regional, Primary Care, Nursing, ASSIST Health Informatics Forum –International representation –SGs plus Liaison Groups (20) –HC Conference –Publications –Workshops –Standards BCS Policy in Health

7. What is Health Informatics? “The knowledge, skills and tools which enable information to be collected, managed, used and shared to support the delivery of healthcare and promote health”

8. Health Informaticians ICT staff Health Records & Coding Staff Information Management Knowledge Management Senior HI Managers / Directors of Services Clinical Informatics Education, Training & Development Research

9. Need for HI Professionalism

10. Professionalism – the Context Increasing impact of HI on patient care Significant NHS investment in HI Skills and leadership deficit Recruitment/retention problems Health Professions Council

11. The Problem for IT workers The need for a career pathway The need for adequate recognition –Professional Credibility –Appropriate Remuneration –Correct Workplace Setting The need for a professional “home” Current organisations do not meet these needs

12. Bad Health Informatics Damages Patients Patients must have died due to the London Ambulance system failure. (Parliamentary report) Abnormal cervical smears not acted on until too late Incorrect radiotherapy doses Downs Syndrome risks inaccurately reported

13. 44,000 to 98,000 people die in US hospitals due to errors committed by medical professionals Health care lags a decade behind aviation on safeguarding consumers lives. IOM reports “To err is human” 2000 The cost of preventable Adverse Drug Reactions was $2.8million per year for one 700 bed hospital

14. Prescribing Audit Commission – Spoonful of Sugar adverse reactions to medicines and medication errors currently cost the NHS £0.5 billion each year in longer stays in hospital, to say nothing of the human cost to patients many errors could be eliminated through the use of computer technology and automation – a national approach is needed to introduce these systems

15. The Real Problem Patients are being damaged by bad health informatics Patient care is increasingly impacted by informatics

16. What is Needed? Professional standards –Code of Conduct –education, training and experience –continuing professional development Register of HI Professionals Career structure for HI professionals –recognition by employers

17. The Medical Model of Professionalism Royal Colleges Education Research Qualifications British Medical Association Pay & Rations Trade Union Members Needs General Medical Council Professional Control Patients Needs Medical Schools

18. UKCHIP’s formal Aim Its aim is: “to be the regulatory body for all branches of health informatics in the United Kingdom”

19. UKCHIP Milestones Online expression of interest (Oct 02) Code of conduct (July 03) Draft registration scheme (Sept 03) –registration levels –entry requirements –registration process Online Registration (Mar 04) Council Elections May 2005

20. UKCHIP Voluntary Registration

21. Elements of the Scheme Constituencies –broad definition of HI Sectors –all those involved in HI Levels of Registration –different levels of experience and responsibility

22. Sectors NHS Private Health Industry / Commercial Higher / Further Education

23. Registration Levels Level 1 –limited experience/responsibility Level 2 –career grade –significant qualifications/experience Level 3 –leadership grade –advanced qualifications/experience

24. Registration Requirements Code of conduct Professional standards –qualifications –employment profile –health experience –informatics experience Points scheme –trade-off (with strict minima)

25. Continuing Professional Development A professional has to keep up to date A professional body needs to monitor this Each branch of the profession has different needs UKCHIP has its own CPD scheme but if there is a CPD scheme from another body which fits the requirements UKCHIP will recognise that

26. What Next? Acceptance by employers Detailed Core Competencies Accreditation of training schemes and conferences –education, supervised experience, mentoring etc Career Pathway –normal entry route Statutory registration (2010?)

27. Wider IT professionalism eGov Office for all public sector IT BCS/IEE/eGov etc working together To improve the quality of IT enabled change To improve the reputation of IT

28. Why Register? As an individual –demonstrate commitment to Code of Conduct –sign up to professional standards –recognise responsibility to the public –Self esteem In the interests of the profession –establish HI as a recognised profession –support UKCHIP as its representative body

29. What makes UKCHIP registration attractive? “The recognition that comes from professional standards and clear career pathways” peer group support stimulus to mobility, requirement for jobs Registration shows employers that you are a professional, with commitment to developing yourself and working to a high level Registration sets you ahead of other candidates.

30. External Support The following have already agreed with the principles of Ukchip and will support widespread registration –Information Centre/ CfH/DoH –NPSA/Healthcare Commission –The General Medical Council –Royal Pharmaceutical Society –Unison/Amicus

31. What’s in it for Employers? Recruitment, job descriptions, person profiles Shows an employer’s commitment to developing the professional status of HI staff and will attract candidates Job grading (including Agenda for Change) Improved quality of service – ‘professionalise your HI service’ Increased status by employing professionals A way of recording your staff CPD

32. What’s in it for Employers? As a CEO/RID/CIO/Organisation Lead for IT you need to be assured that your IT and informatics staff are fit to practice. This is increasingly important to the Healthcare Commission and is figuring in performance indicators It can help in gaining contracts

33. Useful Contacts www.ukchip.org