NHS QIS are in the process of a review of our strategic direction. We aim to provide greater clarity about our contribution to NHSScotland and greater coherence to our work programme.
Why review our strategic direction?
Three years after the establishment of NHS QIS we felt that it was a good time to evaluate the overall impact we have made and assess which parts of our work are more or less effective.
Our current impact
- 85% of senior managers* rated interaction with NHS QIS a very valuable or valuable
- 55% of practitioners reported an increase in professional knowledge as a result of NHS QIS initiatives
- 72% of senior managers* and 65% of practitioners reported a change in policy or practice as a result of NHS QIS initiatives.
- 80% of practitioners rated the technical quality of NHS QIS quidance as good or very good.
* senior managers include medical directors and nursing directors
Impact Evaluation
Views were gathered from healthcare professionals, government officials and senior managers across Scotland, focusing on a sample of our work.
The research provided evidence that we have made a positive impact on professional knowledge, on changes in policy and practice, and, most importantly, on the outcome of patient care.
A number of issues are identified for our consideration such as the amount of work that NHS boards need to do to respond to our requests for information; uncertainty about why we select specific topics for our work; dissemination of our reports; and follow-up to ensure action is taken in response to our recommendations.
Next steps
The next steps for us has been a review of our stategic direction designed to provide greater clarity about our contribution to NHSScotland and greater coherence to our work programme.