Heartbeat: Making data count – Improving patient outcomes with analytics
March 30, 2023
As the NHS continues to strive for excellence in patient care, it’s crucial to take advantage of the wealth of data that’s generated through daily operations and activities. By using data and analytics, the colleagues can make informed decisions that lead to significant improvements in patient outcomes, operational efficiency and cost savings.
One of the advantages of using data and analytics in decision making is that it allows Trust’s like ours to identify patterns and trends that may not be immediately obvious. For example, data analysis can reveal which patients are most at risk of developing certain conditions, allowing clinical colleagues to take proactive preventative measures. Additionally, data analysis can help identify areas where resources are being wasted, allowing us to redirect those resources to where they’re needed most.
Another important aspect of using data and analytics is that it allows us to measure the effectiveness of treatments, procedures, processes and pathways. By tracking patient outcomes over time, we can determine which treatments are working well and which ones need to be improved. This can lead to the development of more effective treatments, which ultimately results in better patient outcomes.
Putting analytics into practice
As an improvement analyst my unique role within the improvement team has led to me being involved in providing data and analytical support on projects such as mouthcare matters, ED frailty, sepsis and security escalation projects where I focussed on measuring the impact of improvement activity and the development of supporting reporting. Improvement analysis involves the measurement of process change over time.
Analysis, presentation and interpretation of data is fundamental to what we do within the improvement team. Projects are initiated, monitored and brought to a conclusion based on what the data tells us. Without datacentric evidence, benefits and outcomes are difficult to decipher, potentially leading to waste of resources and duplication of effort.
For the mouthcare matters programme we sourced data from our in-house archives to measure the cases of hospital acquired pneumonia before and after clinical intervention. This helped build the case for the intervention to be rolled out across the Trust.
How you can make the most of data
The making data count training program run by NHS England, aims to train colleagues in how to appropriately use statistical process control (SPC) charts to enhance decision making in projects across the NHS. Over an eight lesson cycle, colleagues will be introduced to the concept of SPC charts, narrative writing, comparison and benchmarking, improvement methods and data triangulation, amongst others. The overall impact of this will be to give colleagues an appreciable level of expertise in employing SPC charts in their work, and reaping the resultant benefits.
In short, using data and analytics is crucial for the NHS to continue to improve patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and cost savings. With the right data and analytical tools, the NHS can make informed decisions that lead to real, measurable improvements in the quality of care provided to patients.