North East London Health and Care Partnership has published its interim integrated care strategy, with a focus on digitally connecting health and care providers, population health management and leveraging data.
The interim plan lays out a focus on building the partnership’s digital foundations, the role of digital in prevention and personalisation, as well as a greater focus on population health outcomes and tackling inequalities.
The document recognises that “we cannot continue to work in the same way, doing the same things”, and identifies a series of challenges as a “burning platform” for action as an integrated care system.
The integrated care strategy has six overarching themes: tackling health inequalities; greater focus on prevention; holistic and personalised care; co-production with local people; creating a high trust environment that supports integration and collaboration; and operating as a learning system driven by research and innovation.
On prevention, the ICS notes that there will be an increase in the proportion of its budget to be spent in this area, with a greater focus on population health management. A key factor here is to improve how the ICS uses the data it collects, along with identifying and tackling unmet needs.
For its personalisation ambitions, the ICS highlights the role of social prescribing teams in having access to digital templates in primary care, and shares an ambition to develop similar sharing platforms for personalised care such as care plans. It also notes a minimum data-set requirement, as well as the need to evaluate the impact on measures introduced. Here, one success measure is defined by all staff having the information they need through IT systems.
Another key area for the ICS is to foster a learning system to improve. One action is to drive data and insights, to improve its evidence base to drive investment in transformation, and grow its analytical capacity. The ICS continues to highlight the need to “increase our appetite for innovation”, for all staff to consider quality improvement a key part of their role, and to accelerate the adoption of innovation.
A particular focus is placed on population health management. The ICS is to develop a methodology and identify cohorts where interventions will add value, as well as supporting frontline teams and health and care planners predict the needs in the future.
On digital infrastructure, the ICS says: “digital transformation will enable people to improve their own health, tackle rising demand, integrate services, and empower staff. Our focus will be on connecting systems together and minimising the number of different systems and to utilise the high amounts of data available.”
On the London Care Record programme, the aim is to build on from recent progress and fully connect all partners. This includes providing citizens with access to their records, and to access remote care and advice through the platform.
Finally, the ICS notes planned investment in prevention and innovation, including technology that improves outcomes and productivity.
To view the interim strategy, please click here.
