The need for clinical performance information systems is highlighted in a recent UK Healthcare Commission report, which sends a message to the NHS on learning from 14 investigations that they have carried out.

The Commission made recommendations to the wider NHS based on its experience of conducting investigations. It said that:

           - Senior managers must actively elicit views about safety from frontline staff.
           - Every board member should ensure that information and trends are
                  reported to and acted on.
           - Boards and senior managers must allocate time to look at whether they are
             meeting the needs of vulnerable patients.
           - Trusts should have systems to improve services and safeguard patients that are
             part of its everyday functions, not added on at the end.

The second of these recommendations is highly relevant to establishing good information systems. The commission also states that it:

             "was surprised that many boards involved in investigations did not have
              systems  in place to ensure they were routinely informed of key information
              such as rates of infection and measures of quality of care. This meant that
              boards were unable to spot problems and take steps to fix them."

                 "was surprised that most of the trusts investigated did not have adequate
              systems in place to routinely inform the board of trends or potential
              problems. Board members must assure themselves about the quality of
              services for which they are responsible and need data to do this professionally."

To read more information on the above, please follow the link below:


http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk//newsandevents/pressreleases.cfm?cit_id=6188 &FAArea1=customWidgets.content_view_1&usecache=false