Building new approaches to testing innovation that could transform health and care Ensuring that innovation in health care delivery is supported by the rapid cycles of testing and learning required for the biggest impact
Innovation in health care delivery, often using AI and other adaptive technologies, is spreading rapidly across the NHS. This could transform services – for instance, by freeing up clinical time, better diagnosing disease or shifting care into lower-cost settings.
But these innovations are too often adopted without good evidence on impact, not focused on the biggest issues facing health and care and go ahead without the rapid cycles of testing and learning needed to make the best use of them. Existing evaluation methods are often too slow and expensive, lack quality and are not geared towards informing adoption or spread of innovation in real time. This poses major challenges for the NHS and policy.
We want to demonstrate new methods and infrastructure needed to fill this gap: targeting rapid evaluation of innovation in the health system at a mass scale and linking robust data on impact with learning and feedback to support better take-up and adaptation by those using it.
We have already started to test and develop these approaches. For instance, we are evaluating the use of ambient voice technology (AVT) in the NHS with The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute, a Foundation-backed initiative based at the University of Cambridge working to strengthen the evidence base for improvement and innovation in health care. The focus of this goal is likely to expand over the course of the strategy – for instance, by exploring wider health interventions.
We also deliver:
A unique partnership between NHS England and the Health Foundation. We evaluate complex initiatives in health care to support learning and improvement.
A collaborative network of analytical teams across the UK working together using linked datasets on key issues facing health and care services today.
This programme provides funding for innovation hubs across the UK. The hubs act as centres of expertise and support within provider organisations to help them, and their local health systems, become better.
The Q community brings together thousands of people across the UK and Ireland, collaborating to improve the safety and quality of health and care.
A research institute led by the University of Cambridge, funded by the Heath Foundation.
A unique partnership with ESRC and University of Birmingham, leading the way for better implementation and use of high-quality research evidence in adult social care.