Moving beyond bean counting Improving analytical capability in health visiting – national scoping and local application

The Institute of Health Visiting (IHV)’s vision, published in 2019, calls for a shift in focus in data and analytics – moving from 'bean counting' and the current focus on process outcome measures, towards 'measuring what matters'.

To achieve this, there is a need for greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by managers and clinicians, as well as the needs of commissioners within the field of health visiting data and analytics.

This project by Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and the IHV will fill a gap in knowledge, providing much needed information on the national analytical capability in health visiting and the identification of user stories as a baseline for quality improvement.

Following a national scoping exercise, learning will be applied to practice using rapid cycle improvement methodology, with the trust as a pilot site. It aims to improve understanding of how analytical capability can be maximised locally and for wider system benefit.

Through the pilot site work, clinicians will be supported to understand the value of better analytics. Specific focus will be given to improving data quality and analytics for ‘missing children’, to improve the identification and clinical management of these children with increased levels of vulnerability who are currently not receiving support from services.

The project team hope that sharing the learning from this project, both locally and nationally, will provide some context and background to some of the challenges being faced by the health visiting profession, as well as solutions that have been developed in this project to drive quality improvement.

Contact

For more information about this project, please contact Sharon Hargreaves, Chief Clinical Information Officer, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.