Interoperability and Information Sharing Keith Naylor (DHID Tech Office)

Ambitions and Quotes Interoperability and the need for information sharing was one of the main ambitions of the Information Strategy, published in May 2012: “Information recorded once, at our first contact with professional staff, and shared securely between those providing our care – supported by consistent use of information standards that enable data to flow (interoperability) between systems whilst keeping our confidential information safe and secure”

Ambitions and Quotes The NHS Future Forum Report published in January 2012 has highlighted the importance of collaboration and integration between different care sectors and care settings : “In particular, we received a strong and consistent message about the issue of ‘interoperability’ – the capacity for different computer systems to ‘talk to each other’. Lack of interoperability is an impediment to patient safety, high quality and integrated care and the continuity of care that patients deserve”

Ambitions and Quotes Mandate from the Government to the NHS Commissioning Board (November 2012): “The Board should promote the implementation of electronic records in all health and care settings and should work with relevant organisations to set national standards to support integration”

Ambitions and Quotes Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt Statement in House of Commons 13 th November 2012 – (Source – Hansard): “Guidelines will be laid down to make sure that all the systems developed in different parts of the country are inter-operable.”

How do we Define Integration and Interoperability? Integration – (systems engineering) A discipline that combines processes and procedures from systems engineering, systems management, and product development for the purpose of developing large-scale complex systems that involve hardware and software and may be based on existing or legacy systems coupled with totally new requirements to add significant functionality. (McGraw-Hill Science and Technology Dictionary) Interoperability – Definition of interoperable (oxford dictionaries.com) – (of computer systems or software) able to exchange and make use of information.

Recurring Themes Support the care of patients by providing a complete view of information to the patient and/or carer whenever it is needed Data sharing and information flows Systems talk to each otherInformation Standards Interoperability

Standards No standards No architecture No planning But if you have standards and architecture…and plan ….

Realisation through Standards time penetration Proof of Concept Tipping point Realisation Development NHS Deployment Market stimulation Full deployment

So What’s Different? The Commissioning Board now have powers to stipulate the use of information standards within the NHS

Revisit the ‘S-Curve’ time penetration Proof of Concept Incentivisation Mandation Tipping point Realisation H&SC Act powers Development NHS Deployment Market stimulation Full deployment

One Approach to Incentivisation On 31 st August 2012, we launched a new £2.2m fund for local NHS organisations to deliver digital services that improve patient care

Who? The Fund was open to NHS organisations in England The fund was not directly open to suppliers and system developers. The intent was to stimulate the NHS to purchase, develop and deploy standards based products.

ISCF Awards – Raw Numbers

ISCF Awards – Geographical Distribution UK Population Density

ITK Adoption For 2 years ITK specification adoption has at best been slow ISCF demonstrated a step change in take up Provide NHS organisations with funds to clear the adoption development cost hurdle

Summary A clear direction of travel – – Political ambition to increase the effectiveness of patient care by sharing information – Clinical leadership to enhance professional record keeping – The drive to make systems share/expose the data they already have – The use of information standards