Transcript Ministry Update

“Key
Directions” for a
Nationwide eHealth Framework
Supporting Quality Improvement
Alan Hesketh
Deputy Director-General, Information
Ministry of Health
February 2009
Update on Key Directions to eHealth
• Phase One of Key Directions programme
approved by Government in August 2008
This included:
• Foundation Standards
• Provider to Provider Information Standards
• Decision Support Standards
• Change and Sector Engagement
• Stage one Business Case for the next steps in
developing nationwide eHealth
Since then:
Considerable emphasis has gone on identifying key
elements of a nationwide information framework:
• Shared vision
• Common decision making
• Capturing appropriate innovations
• Simplifying delivery of implementations
• Safe sharing of information
Why do we need a nationwide framework?
• Inconsistent organisational processes have led to very
fragmented information systems
• Limited sharing of clinical information across the care
continuum and across the country
• No explicit health information system ‘architecture’
leading to increasing diversity and fragmentation
• Slow adoption of innovations (e.g. e-referrals)
• Numerous barriers to safe sharing of information
• Poor public understanding of health information issues
leading to misunderstandings and anxiety
• Unclear roles and responsibilities (i.e. what should be
done nationally, regionally, locally)
• Existing informational assets under-utilised, e.g. not
readily available to quality improvement programmes
What can we do? (1)
• Develop a common vision and a set of principles
to guide our long term actions and investments
• Provide a clear picture of how business
processes, systems, information and
infrastructure will work together as a coherent
national system
• Provide a common platform which
• provides the linkages between organisations and systems
• makes other developments possible and easier to deliver
What can we do? (2)
• Make national data assets (e.g. routine
collections) accessible to people who can make
use of it to improve services
• Make the best use of modern
telecommunications to overcome ‘tyranny of
distance’
• Use technology to enhance training and
education of health professionals
• Engage with communities in a constructive
dialogue about safe sharing of health information
Recognise Different Starting Points
• Strategy needs to set common destination
• "Building blocks" within strategy outline major
changes
• Each organisation needs a convergence path
• Establish local picture and how it fits with the
national system
• Develop locally relevant plans for
convergence
• Use shared services to accelerate progress
and help smaller organisations
6
Opportunities for GP leadership and input
• Update of Health Information Strategy
• Leadership and participation in the ‘safe
sharing of health information’ dialogue
• Clinical governance of key projects (e.g. ‘GP
to GP’ notes transfer)
• Use of routine data collections for quality
improvement