Glen Howard heads up the newly launched EMAHSN Analytics and Evaluation Service, based in Nottingham. Here, he tells us about the specialist data expertise and support the team is providing for the health and care system and how you could access it.
Tell us about the Analytics and Evaluation Service (AES) – how did it come about?
The Analytics and Evaluation Service came about by expanding our existing expertise in analytics for innovation by adding evaluation expertise to the team.
The team already had extensive experience at working with data, within and with the health and care system, as well as with commercial innovators, to transform care for patients.
The new team name reflects the evaluation expertise which is now available within the team who have a wide range of skills and expertise that help individuals and organisations to use data to make decisions that improve care for patients and citizens.
As an example of the AES approach, during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, we provided intensive analytical support to the NHS England & Improvement Midlands team. We ensured that they had the data available to them to make decisions that would affect health services across the region by exploring the quality and safety of care in the rapidly changing environment.
Using a Data Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) approach, the analytics team worked with the Safety Surveillance Sub Cell (which brought together NHSE&I colleagues from different teams and backgrounds), to have a data driven discussion and make operational decisions based on that data.
Analysts from our AES team presented hundreds of data charts quickly and clearly and were on hand to answer questions from Safety Surveillance Sub Cell members. The data were presented live during the meetings to ensure the information was right up to date (rather than being compiled into lengthy reports and circulated prior to the meetings). Instead of the report being the focus, it was the discussion that the data provoked, and the insight gained from it that was the focus for members.
This differed from a more traditional way of presenting data at meetings. As people asked questions, it generated insights and deeper understanding of what was happening across the health system during the pandemic – were some hospitals experiencing the pandemic in a different way to others, who needed support, who could others learn from?
In parallel to this work, the service was being asked more frequently to support teams on evaluating new innovative products, patient pathways and changes to services to see what difference they were making to patient experience, and to post-pandemic recovery of patient services.
These analyses and evaluations were important in helping clinicians and managers to decide how best to roll out further the transformations that would make the biggest impact for patients and staff.
What do you feel are the benefits of bringing analysts and evaluators together as one service, and what does the service offer?
We’ve combined these skills to create the new Analytics and Evaluation Service which can help turn data into insight and support decision making – whether you are planning to introduce a new innovation or evaluate an existing one.
Our team is great at making data and analytics digestible, accessible and insightful for decision makers and health and care organisations. We are technical experts in all things data and our goal is to help health and care organisations make sense of their data, give their data a purpose and support their decision making.
For example, (among others) we can help you to:
- map the patient pathway
- identify challenges and understand how the innovation will change the pathway
- undertake benefits analysis and develop metrics
- develop processes to routinely obtain this data for ongoing analysis
- take information from multiple sources (and/or work with your internal team)
- use existing data and link data between organisations (including developing the appropriate data sharing agreements)
- design, commission and deliver evaluation, particularly of changes delivered by innovation or quality improvement projects
High quality analytics and evaluation can provide the evidence behind decision making, for example, helping to understand the potential benefits or the costs of implementation.
We can help establish processes to monitor and measure change, enabling your projects to be built around proven innovation with demonstratable benefits to patients and service users.
The team comprises of analysts and evaluators who work with people, not just data to ensure that the benefits to patients, organisations and health and care systems are understood and communicated. The Analytics and Evaluation Service is only able to provide the high quality of insight due to the extensive experience and wide range of skills of the team.
How should anyone interested in finding out more get in touch with the Service?
To discuss how we may be able to support your transformation work, contact the team via Glen
Find out more by reading the AES information leaflets: