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Informaticopia

Sunday, October 31, 2004

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Following last weeks article in the Guardian on Wikipedia I've been learning my way around the interface & editing some local pages eg Chew Valley Lake and encouraging others to contribute to the nursing & health informatics related pages.

I think this demonstrates an interesting way of developing shared information resources - I wonder if I could get the RDN interested?

I thought I'd better find about about these ways of working as it has been proposed that we use something similar for the record of the Health Informatics Education Radical Steps meeting being planned for March.

Friday, October 29, 2004

Nursing Informatics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nursing Informatics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Just come accross the wikipedia entry for nursing informatics & sent the following to a couple of lists:

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I don't know if any of you have come across the WikiPedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page a free web based encyclopedia, which anyone can edit/contribute to ?

I looked at the entry on nursing informatics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nursing_Informatics (at least it had one) and found a single sentence
"Nursing Informatics is a specialty of Medical Informatics and deals with the support of nursing by information systems in delivery, documentation, administration and evaluation of patient care."

I have edited it a bit & added the IMIA NI definition, but does anyone else fancy a "collaborative edit" of this page to make the entry comprehensive for anyone wanting to find out about the speciaility?

X4L - Exchange for Learning - Video

X4L - Exchange for Learning - Video

For the last 10 years or so I've been involved in developing elearning approaches for health and social care primarily using commercial packages such as WebCT and Blackboard.

During the last 4 years work on
NMAP I have become acutely aware of the importance of sharing Learning Objects - as they are very expensive and time intentsive to create -and using appropriate metadata to ensure they can be found by others while taking account of interoperability, copyright & IPR issues.

Regular readers of this blog will also be aware of my comments about the NHSu Virtual Learning Environment and I think they would benefit from being involved in this sort of work.

Currently, I am part of a team considering bidding under the JISC call Circular 9/04: Call for Projects to Produce Learning Materials for Deposit in the JORUM National Repository - Exchange for Learning (X4L) Phase 2

A colleague has today pointed my to a Video on the X4L page which gives a very good demonstration of what is needed to put learning objects into the JORUM library and using the RELOAD tool and aggregating these into new elearning courses.

NB video is a very large file - Don't try it over a 56k modem

UK Nursing journals, Impact Factors & the 2008 RAE

Yesterday I posted the message below to the LIS-Nursing email list and today received a comprehensive response showing that others have similar related concerns and some of the action to try to improve the listing of nursing journals in citation reports.

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I wonder if any of you can help.

As part of our planning for the 2008 Research Asssessment Exercise,faculty academics have been asked to review their publications to seewhich may be suitable for submission in the next RAE, with particularconsideration of journal impact factors - and to submit their potentialpublications to journals in ways which may maximise their rating whenmthey are reviewed.

Our local librarian has kindly pointed me to the "Web of Science"journal citation reports for impact factors & to check how many timesindividual papers have been cited by others. He has kindly producedlists of the top journals, by impact factor, for relevant areas from the"2003 ISI Journal Citation reports".

I've also looked at some US work at
http://nahrs.library.kent.edu/resource/reports/keyjrnls_intro2001ed.pdf
&
http://nahrs.library.kent.edu/resource/reports/keyjrnls_chart2001ed.pdf

It appears that many UK nursing journals do not appear in these impactfactor listings - does anyone have other sources or methods to identifyimpact factors, or other significant metrics, which could be used in thecompilation of these sorts of publications lists?

Additionally any journals which cover nursing education, communication,health informatics etc which might not be considered "pure nursing"might fall on the boundaries between several assessment panels &therefore ranking may be more difficult.

Another area which is particularly significant to me, is clarifying howelectronic publications, databases etc can be included in the RAEsubmission & how they are likely to be judged?

I understand that the RAE panels are just being formed & may not yethave clarified or communicated their "judging criteria", but if anyonehas any early insights or thoughts on this, I would welcome yourcomments.

Rod

Health Libraries Week & discussions around the NLH

Plans are well underway for Health libraries Week (15-21 November) focusing on the value of health libraries, organised by the NeLH in conjunction with CILIP's Health Libraries Group and the other home countries.

Both national and local events and activities are planned, with an emphasis on the launch the programme to develop the National Library for Health and to launch the first phase of the Single Search Environment, with local libraries emphasising their own services and resources.

The NeLH Digital Libraries Network (DLNET) has a page of materials including powerpoint presentations (from Nov) and NLH promotional designs for incorporation into local materials.

I wonder if, in future, a health information week will be considered more appropriate than a Library week?

This has triggered some interesting debates on the Lis-Medical discussion list about the relationship or partnership between the national work in this area and local library services at Strategic health Authority level.

Posters to this list have also pointed out a range of problems about document delivery from the Department of Health and highlighted the importance of library & information professionals to quality health care deliver. However, their plight under the current

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Nurses & NHS IT developments

Speaking Up - Nurses and NHS IT developments - Qualitative analysis results of an online survey by Nursix.com on behalf of the Royal College of Nursing

This report has just been published providing a qualitative analysis of an online questionaire carried for the RCN by Nursix.com at the beginning of the year (quantiative results have previously been published).

The respondants want:
An integrated electronic clinical record
to be able to share information with their colleagues in other disciplines and in other organisations, securely and appropriately.
Expert nursing involvement in the design and implementation of the new systems
Appropriate training
Equity in access to information technology.
Standardisation of systems across the NHS
Equity of access to knowledge based systems

Concerns included:
Poorly designed systems
Security and confidentiality
Clear accountability for records

The full report shows the profile of respondants and an analysis of their comments on the questionairre.

MIE2005 Call for contributions

MIE2005 Call for contributions

The call for papers for the MIE 2005 conference (Geneva 28 August - 1 September 2005) is now available

Monday, October 25, 2004

Health Informatics Standards Development - Learning to Manage Health Information latest reports

Health Informatics Standards Development - Learning to Manage Health Information latest reports

Over the last few days I've been reading this report, which is in 4 parts and was published in March 2004, about the developments since "Learning to Manage Health Information: a theme for clinical education" was first published in 1999 and updated in 2002.

Part 1 Background and Summary of findings provides an overview and brings together the findings conclusions and recommendations from the studies described in the other 3 documents.

Part 2 Pre-registration clinical education reproduces reports of 3 projects carried out between summer 2001 and spring 2002 ; Mapping health informatics learning outcomes to current nursing and midwifery pre-registration curricula (University of Greenwich), How are health informatics outcomes embedded in undergraduate radiography and allied health professions curricula (Sheffield Hallam University), and Embedding health informatics within clinical curricula at University of West of England.
All 3 highlight the "current state" and identify some of the barriers (including time, terminology, etc) to enhancing health informatics in the curricula.

Part 3 Post-registration clinical education includes 2 pieces of work; one by the CPHVA & the other by University of Central Lancashire on the delivery and impact of health informatics in post registration education. The small samples etc make the wider generalisation of the results difficult but do propose ways forward in elearning (CPHVA) & in measuring the impact on patient care (Central Lancs).

Part 4 Teaching and Learning Strategy considers the needs of university lecturers to be able to deliver a core health informatics curriculum following work undertaken by the University of Greenwich and provides a suggested educational model, including much greater sharing of resources.

All of the studies highlight difficulties in existing and planned provision and some of the hurdles to be overcome including unrealistic expectations on behalf of NHSIA & Educational teams. There seems to be an overemphasis on basic IT skills (little mention of ECDL) and recognition that the drivers which may be influential (e.g. purchasers SHE WDC etc and quality assurance & review e.g. QAA) are not engaged with getting health informatics a higher profile in pre and post registration curricula.

NHSIA & HC2005

I understand that the NHS Information Authority staff bulletin has said that the IA will not be exhibiting, providing speakers, or authorising any of its staff to attend the HC 2005 conference in March next year.

This may simply reflect that the IA, as a body, will cease to exist very soon after the event, but if this is also true of other NHS bodies in the area e.g. NPfIT, NHSU and/or the Health and Social Care Information Centre then it will seriously reduce the usefulness of the conference and exhibition (which may be the intention), and could be seen as further evidence of the lack of consultation with significant stakeholders, which has previously been a criticism on this blog and elsewhere.

I'm sure that the HC conference will not be diminished by this - and the extra feedom this may produce may actually enhance the conference?

Friday, October 22, 2004

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | NHS fraud busters hit confidentiality snag

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | NHS fraud busters hit confidentiality snag
This article form the Guardian highlights potential (occasional) problems which may be caused if the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS) wishes to access patient records and therefvore gets to see confidential information. This is already allowed for patient records but, because GPs are independant contractors rather than employees of the NHS no right currently exists for them to access these records.
This controversy highlights the ongoing tension between an individuals right to privacy and the "great good of society".

Thursday, October 21, 2004

NHSU

NHSU - Selecting and implementing a Virtual Learning Environment
The NHSu has just published its guidance on Virtual learning Environments following work by Cumbria & Lancashire on behalf of the Strategic Health Authorities.

It includes an interactive demo & PDF guide - but i couldn't get the Word Document of "Statement of requirements(SOR) for a learning Management System (LMS) to download.

Implementation & NPfIT

An interesting observation was made a at a meeting I attended today..
As the NPfIT moves into it's implementation phase (admittedly at different speeds in different geographical & work areas) it is poignant to consider that amongst all the health informatics national occupational standards http://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=pub_c_health_informatics (119 in fact) there are none about implementation - loads about "identifying strategies etc" & "project management" but implementation is missing !!

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

National Statistics Online - Articles - Public Service Productivity: Health

National Statistics Online - Articles - Public Service Productivity: Health
New stats from the ONS need to be carefully interpreted in any attempt to measure NHS productivity against expenditure.
The full document is at Major step towards measuring health service productivity and the emerging debate amongst the politicians about what the stats show is reflected by the Guardian Output figures show NHS decline

I doubt whether the debate will be resolved as the quantity and quality of the data is poor - and it is difficult to agree on outcome measures in this complex field.

Monday, October 18, 2004

Map of Medicine

I understand that a contract has been signed with the Fujitsu Alliance (southern cluster NPfIT) to deploy Map of Medicine. Does anyone have any thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of this system?

Sunday, October 17, 2004

BBC NEWS | Health | GPs 'doubtful' about IT upgrade

BBC NEWS Health GPs 'doubtful' about IT upgrade
This File on 4 programme will be broadcast on Radio 4 on Tuesday 19 October at 2000 BST and repeated at 1700 BST on Sunday 24 October.
It follows last weeks debates about the real costs of NPfIT & reports a survey of doctors showing only 7% of the 500 GPs and hospital doctors felt they had been adequately consulted.

I bet the rates would be even lower for other professional groups.
The file on four web page is at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/file_on_4/default.stm and the audio file can be heard until Tues 26th Oct from http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?fileon4
A PDF transcript is available at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/fileon4_20041019_nhs_it.pdf

Saturday, October 16, 2004

Skills for Health

Skills for Health - Clinical InformaticsI'm currently participating as a member of a working group developing national occupational standards for clinical informatics as part of the knowledge and skills framework introduced by "agenda for change" in the NHS.

This builds on work for health informatics which has already been undertaken - our current targets are to examine the health informatics standards and see which ones are suitable for clinical informatics and whether any new standards are needed.

If anyone has any comments or ideas for this work please let me know.

NHSu & Wells review

Today I sent (fax because he doesn't have an email!) the following message to Dan Norris my local MP

Dear Dan Norris,

Following the recent outburst in the press etc earlier this week about the actual costs of implementation of the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) in the NHS, I am surprised that no one seems to have picked up on the "Wells report" on the NHSU.

This was part of the Dept of Health "Arms Length Bodies" review and follows the problems with UKeU. For more information see: http://www.thes.co.uk/current_edition/story.aspx?story_id=2016254

I understand that 7 copies of the report (individually numbered and strictly controlled) have been printed and sent to ministers, but that no comment has yet been made.

In these times of "freedom of Information" etc I wonder if a question could be put to John Reid/John Hutton asking when this report will be published / put in the House of Commons library etc? or would this be more appropriate to the national audit office?

I suspect it will say that the £50 million approx. of taxpayers money, which has been spent over the last 2 years has bought "nothing but a bad reputation", and that the remit and activities of the NHSU should be scalled back or stopped completely, and that the money would be better spent with Stragic Health Authorities Workforce Development Consortia (WDCs), and that the secrecy and confusion around the operation of the NHSU was not a good way to operate.

Can you question the appropriate individuals/bodies?

Rod Ward

Friday, October 15, 2004

British Computer Society (BCS) Nursing Specialist Group

BCS Nursing Specialist Group Dame Phyllis Friend Award The closing date for this award which is open to all NSG members is 31st Oct 2004

AGW WDC - Education & Learning - IM&T Education, Training & Development

AGW WDC - Education & Learning - IM&T Education, Training & Development I've been asked to do a review of this Training Needs Analysis - if anyone has any comments please let me know.

Social Market Foundation - Choice and IT in Healthcare: Keynote Address: John Hutton, Minister of State for Health

Social Market Foundation - Choice and IT in Healthcare: Keynote Address: John Hutton, Minister of State for Health
Sounds like an interesting day

HC2005 Conference

HC2005 Conference There are only 10 days left to get your submission in for this conference

Wells report and the NHSU

NHSU: transforming learning I'm awaiting sight of the Wells report on the NHSu - which will decide its future direction and remit. I wonder if it is true that only 7 copies were printed and strictly controlled - surely as NHSU is ultimately paid for by tax payers money we should all have a right to see the report under the freedom of information act? see http://www.thes.co.uk/current_edition/story.aspx?story_id=2016254 for the Times Higher Report

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I've set this blog up as a bit of an experiment.
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