The repurposing of clinical data for quality improvement in critical care Insight 2014

The University of Cambridge project will examine how data routinely captured in clinical information systems (CIS) can be repurposed to support care quality improvement work.

The team will observe and interview critical care unit staff to understand the ways they currently use CIS data for quality improvement purposes, and then work with staff and patients to identify opportunities for new data-driven quality improvement initiatives.

The project team will support staff to implement improvement initiatives by developing interactive tools for the extraction and analysis of CIS data, and will study the impact on clinical practices and care quality. They will also identify the costs and benefits of using CIS data for quality improvement.

Expected outcomes

• An understanding of good practice in the repurposing of CIS data for quality improvement purposes and guidelines for the promotion of good practice.
• Data extraction tools that will help others to implement similar initiatives.
• A conceptual cost-benefit model for the use of CIS data in quality improvement.
• Better planning of local quality improvement initiatives.

The project is due to be completed in early 2017.

Contact details

For more information, contact Shaun Leamon, Research Manager at the Health Foundation, or Matthew Jones, Lecturer in Information Systems at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.