The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) today hosted the launch of the eHealth Insider Chief Clinical Information Officers (CCIO) Leaders Network, a professional network designed to support doctors, nurses and allied health professionals who are stepping up to take the lead on IT and the use of information in healthcare.
Speaking at the event, health secretary, Andrew Lansley promised a profound shift of decision-making to the local NHS with clinicians leading change in information technology and ensuring its freedom to innovate.
The CCIO Leaders Network was formed following a successful campaign by healthcare IT news portal, eHealth Insider, to encourage all NHS organisations to consider appointing a CCIO.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Lansley said:
In the past doctors and nurses have had to bend over backwards to fit in with the needs of the systems introduced to their workplaces. They were shackled with rigid, expensive IT contracts that failed to deliver as intended.
We are now putting local clinicians in the driving seat, able to reap the benefits of the explosion in information and technology which is re-shaping the world beyond the NHS.
He also made clear that it was intolerable that clinicians who regularly use a smartphone to video chat with colleagues across the world, have to spend weeks waiting for patient information to be sent by post. The gap in utilising modern technology was to be closed by the leadership of those with their patients in mind, not by central decree from government.
Alongside focusing on clinical involvement to drive change, the Health Secretary reiterated the need for clinical systems across the country to talk to each other, exchanging information safely in the interests of patients. The NHS Commissioning Board will lead on championing the national standards that are required to underpin local innovation and choice.
So far, six CCIOs have been appointed in the NHS and feedback suggests that the issue of clinical leadership in IT has risen significantly up the healthcare agenda. A total of 11 royal colleges have backed the campaign along with over 70 healthcare IT companies and numerous individuals.
The CCIO Leaders Network is being delivered as an online community and programme of events with partners, culminating in the first CCIO Conference at eHealth Insider Live 2012 in November.
Editor of eHealth Insider, Jon Hoeksma, said:
The response to the campaign has been terrific and the momentum it has generated will get the CCIO Leaders Network off to a flying start. We have nine further events planned for 2012 and an online channel that will be offering news, information and peer support to clinicians taking on these vital roles.
Professor John Williams, director of the RCP’s Health Informatics Unit, said:
The CCIO can play a major role in ensuring that patient data is complete, accurate and useful at the individual patient level to underpin better patient care, and at the wider aggregated data level to support commissioning and research. Clinical leadership in this area can really make a difference, and the CCIO Leaders Network will provide encouragement and vital support to those clinicians taking up CCIO roles.
Three leading firms in healthcare IT – BT, Cerner and iSOFT - have backed the Network as foundation sponsors.
Dr Justin Whatling, BT Health’s chief clinical officer, said:
BT has been fully behind eHealth Insider’s drive to establish the post of CCIO in UK healthcare organisations from the beginning. We’re delighted to continue our support with this exciting evolution of the campaign.
As CCIO posts gain an increasing foothold, it’s important that they are professionally supported and establish a powerful peer network from which they can share best practice, develop and grow as informatics leaders. The CCIO Leader’s Network is a great way of achieving this, and will enable the UK to harness the power of informatics to modernise the NHS.
Alan Fowles, vice president and general manager Cerner UK and Ireland said during the launch:
Cerner has proudly supported the CCIO campaign from the outset and it is exciting to see that support has gone from strength to strength. Like many at today’s event, we share the vision that information technology has the power to enable transformation of healthcare delivery, simultaneously generating efficiencies and improving patient outcomes.
The most significant improvements are brought about when healthcare technology is closely aligned to medical practice. As a foundation sponsor of the CCIO Leaders Network, we look forward to the campaign pairing strong clinical leaders and innovative IT in the NHS in future.
Adrian Stevens, iSOFT's managing director for UK and Ireland, Middle East and Africa said:
The NHS must have clinical leadership to ensure that IT systems deliver real clinical benefits. It is vital to involve clinicians at every step, from initial specification through procurement to delivery. We know from own experience the importance of involving our clinicians in product development and the readiness of our customers to embrace clinically rich developments.
For further information, please contact Andrew McCracken, RCP Communications and New Media Adviser, on +44 (0)203 075 1354 / 07990 745 608, or email andrew.mccracken@rcplondon.ac.uk
For further information about the CCIO Leaders Network call Josephine Weir on +44 (0)20 7785 7151, or email josephine@e-health-media.com