Interoperabilityand

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 13th 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.”

Recurring Themes

Standards

Realisation through Standards

time

penetration

Proof of Concept

Tipping point

Realisation

DevelopmentNHS D

eplo

ymen

t

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

DevelopmentNHS D

eplo

ymen

t

Market stimulation

Full deployment

One Approach to Incentivisation

• On 31st 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