ENS4Care: Evidence Based Guidelines for Nurses and Social Care Workers for the deployment of eHealth services

From the ENS4Care website:

“Innovative, high quality, safe and cost-effective national healthcare systems are dependent upon policy-makers and stakeholders developing and implementing high-quality eHealth services”
(Sheikh et al., 2011)

This is particularly the case under the current social and economic situation plaguing EU Member States. ENS4Care is designed as response to this need with an ultimate aim of contributing to an evidence based deployment of eHealth services in the EU and Europe. While Member States are individually striving to respond to a growing demand for quality, safety, equity and access, they are at the same time challenged to be innovative with regards to the sustainability of their healthcare system. Furthermore, in order to render health and social protection more adequate and sustainable, there is a need to invest in health and social care staff´s skills and capabilities to support people in need (Social Investment Package, 2013). The identification of these skills together with the exchange of good, innovative, implemented and cost-effective solutions and approaches is increasingly needed. In this context, the policy initiatives set out in the Digital Agenda ensure that the European Commission, closely cooperates with EU Member States, and different stakeholders, are the driving forces to making clear implementation proposals in the field of eHealth services. http://www.ens4care.eu/projects/policy/

My source: GANM (Global Alliance for Nursing and Midwifery)

Informatics in Primary Care - journal

Informatics in Primary Care Journal

On Wednesday I visited HC2014. Having the week off and with the event literally on the doorstep (London in 2015) it was very convenient.

I'd received an email the evening before on the new informatics federation and heard the official announcement in the opening session. My last HC event was 2005, my first 1986 also in Manchester if I remember correctly.

I posted the federation news this morning. On the BCS stand I picked up a copy of the INFORMATICS IN PRIMARY CARE.

This journal is open access. Despite the title and perhaps illustrative of the dependencies within and need to integrate health (and social care) the journal's coverage is broad and inclusive:

We are interested in how computerised medical records can better record the clinical status of patients and can be used to measure the quality, safety and efficiency of health care professionals and organisations – including primary care, hospital, mental health, and social and community care.  The scope of the journal also includes integrated care and how genetic data might be used to enhance health care.

I will reflect a little more on HC2014 soon.

BCS, UKCHIP and IHRIM announce a new vision for the health informatics profession at HC2014

19 March 2014

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, the UK Council of Health Informatics Professions (UKCHIP) and the Institute of Health Records and Information Management (IHRIM) are working collaboratively to create a new federation for the Informatics profession. The three autonomous bodies will work closely together in a federation to ensure that UK health informatics is recognised as a valued profession. 

Justin Whatling, Chair of BCS Health, part of the Chartered Institute for IT, explains: “This is a very exciting moment for health informatics. Today technology has an immense and profound impact on the health and wellbeing of people. Therefore it’s time for the profession to mature to meet the increasing demand on our skills and capability. We want health to be an attractive place for informatics professionals from other sectors to come and work, and we want to provide a clear career path and professional development opportunities to retain those already working in health. The federation will help us to achieve this.”

The initiative comes as the NHS is under increasing pressure to find and implement new models of health and social care that will provide services closer to people’s homes. This requires health professionals to share accurate information securely and confidentially. In addition, the Caldicott 2 Review has introduced a Duty of Care to Share health information. Both of these things have happened at a time when public trust in the NHS’ ability to handle personal health information has taken a hit.

The federation will be open to all other informatics professional bodies, the private sector, the home countries and lay representation. It will provide leadership of the overall profession with a single professional register and point of entry for professionals, oversee an agreed regulatory framework with a common code of ethical practice and coordinate access to resources providing a unified set of capabilities for all professional areas of practice.

Read more

BCS: Webinar - Standards for the delivery of patient-centred care in the Safer Hospitals, Safer Wards initiative

Healthcare information standards are essential for the delivery of joined-up patient information and joined-up patient care, in the DoH Information Strategy and in the NHS ‘Safer Hospitals, Safer Wards’ Technology Fund. The establishment of Integrated Digital Care Records (IDCR) across all care settings is a firm expectation by 2018 according to the Secretary of State for Health.

This free webinar provides vital orientation for managers, clinicians and IT staff wishing to participate in these initiatives, who need to understand:

• Why standards – their role in better patient care
• How standards should be applied in the NHS ‘Safer Hospitals, Safer Wards’ Technology Fund
• Which standards to use for exchange and storage of clinical documents
• Which standards to use for mobile health devices and applications
• Practical experience in the deployment of standards

Tuesday 16th July, 12.00 80 minute duration – lines open from 11.45 British Summer Time

Speakers:

• Neil Robinson: IHE UK Chair:
• Introduction and Closing Remarks
• Kathy Farndon: Head of Health Information Standards and IG NHS England:
• The Role of Standards
• Inderjit Singh: NHS England:
• Safer Hospitals, Safer Wards Technology Fund initiative
• Dr Robert Worden: HL7 UK:
• Clinical Documents and deployment of CDA & XDS
• Dr Justin Whatling: BCS Health Chair:
• The clinical need for standards
• Dr Dave Harvey: IHE UK:
• Standards needs in mobile applications

Registration:

To register for the free webinar please cut and paste the following link into your browser:
https://connectingforhealth.webex.com/connectingforhealth/j.php?ED=219725507&RG=1&UID=1629531582

SUPPORTED BY HSCIC & NHS ENGLAND