NEWS

With the shift from analogue to digital telecare imminent, opportunities are just around the corner to improve the efficiency of telecare delivery and widen the range of telecare services offered. It is more important than ever to harness the potential that data can bring to provide a foundation for service development, improvement and transformation.

To tackle these potentials, Digital Telecare for Scottish Local Government and the Scottish Government TEC Programme (TEC) have combined a Data Programme to support Telecare Services in maximising the use of their data, now, and in the future.

The Data Programme, which is broken into various phases, will focus on five areas:

1. Understanding and overcoming the barriers to gathering and using data
   Working with interested Partnerships to consider key data questions including how to collect, process and analyse data. Learning and experience from this process will be translated into guidance to support others with similar challenges.
   
   
2. Identify common challenges
   Identify some common challenges for Partnerships, which could be addressed through better use of data. Initially a couple will be selected, and through the co-creation of a solution, practical evidence of the value of better harnessing data will be provided.
   
   
3. A minimum national data set
   Building on the work of the Telecare Data Action Group, and in partnership with Scotland’s Housing Network and Public Health Scotland, create a new national minimum telecare data set. 
   
   
4. Telecare Benchmarking – if you collect it, use it!
   In 2017/18, TEC adopted a new approach to telecare data collection and reporting, and working with Scotland’s Housing Network, introduced Telecare Benchmarking. One of the key aims for this shift was to support Telecare Services not just to collect data, but to use it to better understand what a ‘good’ Telecare Service looks like, and drive service improvement.
   
   The benefits nationally and locally of Benchmarking increase as more HSCPs participate. This year, TEC will work with telecare services not currently participating in Benchmarking, or not consistently submitting Benchmarking data, to understand the barriers to participation and provide support for those who want to get involved.
   
   
5.  Understanding people’s experience of Telecare
   Collection of key information to understand how well a service is performing through feedback from service users. Several telecare services find it challenging to get meaningful feedback without creating excessive burden for either staff or people using the service. This year, work will be carried out with a range of stakeholders to create good practice guidance on measuring people’s expectations, experience and satisfaction of Telecare. 

Phase one, which will deliver a national telecare data set, as well as a deeper understanding around the challenges services face in harnessing their data, is being led by TEC and aims to be completed by mid-2021. Digital Telecare for Scottish Local Government will take over for phase two which will look at the implications the transition to Digital Telecare has for data use, expanding the data set and exploring new possibilities.

A detailed brief on the importance of data when delivering telecare services and further information on the potentials of data can be found in the recent Digital Telecare Insight Service.  

Updates from the programme will be available on the Playbook and in the monthly Digital Telecare newsletter. If you have any questions or would like support in your organisations transition to digital telecare, please get in touch.