Last Wednesday TFPL launched, as part of the Connect network, a special interest group (SIG) for individuals concerned with knowledge and information management (KIM) in the diverse organisations that make up health and social care in the UK. The aim of the SIG is to provide a forum where people from all the disciplines and functions that have an interest improving the impact of KIM can exchange ideas and experience, explore issues and generate innovative approaches. The launch evening set out to explore this remit and to test the interest. Hosted by the BMA and chaired by Jacky Berry, Librarian of the BMA, the launch was based around presentations from three speakers Helen Nellis, Principal at Perret Laver; Bob Gann, Strategy Commissioner for NHS Choices, DH; and Kate Arnold, Director of Patient Information at Cancer Research UK. (Unfortunately Dianne Gywnne-Smith from SCIE had to withdraw at the last minute for health related reasons). Each demonstrated that whatever their back grounds and organisations they saw clear themes and challenges that cut across the whole health sector. It was a stimulating evening and indications are that the Health SIG could be an interesting and dynamic network.
It was fascinating to see how the three speakers had developed very similar themes without any prior consultation. The key themes were:
• How much everyone, from very different organisations, had in common in terms of KIM challenges – especially resource pressures – achieving more with less.
• Organisational and political change being a constant influence on KIM strategies and implementation.
• Moving from information paucity – through information overload – to useable and actionable information. Still a way to go on that one but the recently launched information standard may be part of the solution.
• Quality of data and information. Essential for good decision making by heath and social care professionals and by patients, and for maintaining confidence in KIM systems.
• Tensions around ownership of information, the need to share information, knowledge and best practice but the barriers and problems of doing so.
• Creation, use and accessibility of information. The shift in authority from the clinical specialist to ‘the expert patient’.
• The crucial importance of partnerships in a very fragmented environment – crucial to the development of new services, bids for research money, making information widely available without the duplication of effort.
• Moving from information destinations to access to knowledge assets – the Total Place concept.
A summary of the presentations will be available shortly. Meanwhile – a few highlights.
Helen, who has with a range of experience across different parts of the health scene started her presentation by saying she had no expertise in the KIM area but went on to give a clear and precise demonstration of why information, and the way it is handled, has a profound effect. Drawing on her experiences of working in a Tsunami hit area and in a hospital trust which had suffered a major emergency, Helen illustrated graphically very familiar scenarios where the starting point is a total lack, or paucity, of information which moves rapidly to information deluge and overload. Managing that flow is crucial if information is to be actionable – to contribute to corporate and individual knowledge.
Bob questioned the definition of ‘public health’ which is the umbrella phrase that TFPL had used in developing this event. In Bob’s view, 'public health means the health of the population or nation, for example, managing swine flu’. In absolute terms this is really managing the health of people – 'personal health’. This reflected the theme of who creates and owns information – how it is used – who has authority. His experience with one of the largest web sites in Europe, and its aim to inform and empower patients and carers, caused him to question whether KIM specialists should be moving away from providing information destinations to facilitating access to knowledge assets.
Kate provided a view of the challenges of working in partnership with many organisations to provide an independent source of information on all aspects of cancer. She thought that the recent launch of the information standard, which aims 'to improve user experience by certifying reliable producers of health and social care information', would go a long way to ensure quality and exchange of information. However, the implications of enabling the diverse range of organisations providing information to achieve the Kitemark could be huge unless they found some mechanism of helping the smaller organisations. She also discussed the issues around syndication.
Some of these themes, and others identified at the event, are likely to be picked up at future Health SIG meetings. Topics for TFPL Connect SIG events are selected by the members and suggestions via the blog or to lucy.frost@tfpl.com or vivienne.winterman @tfpl.com are welcomed.
Angela Abell
Senior Associate Consultant