Clinical data strategy

An essential part of improving the safety and quality of patient care is the gathering, analysis and use of information on clinical performance and outcomes.

Health services require access to clearly defined safety and quality information sets, gathered and consolidated into indicators easy for clinicians, managers, consumers and executive to use.

A summary of data issues and recommendations (PDF 107KB) established by clinical leaders through Transforming Health and the past Clinical Senate, include strengthening and integrating existing data sets and systems, improving accessibility to data and building skills and capacity for data analysis and planning.

Goals of the strategy

To enhance availability and use of clinical data through the development of:

  1. a clinical data reporting system, that will facilitate:
    • monitoring of the effectiveness, appropriateness and efficiency of the care provided, and;
    • measuring the success of Transforming Health across the domains of quality.
  2. an education and training framework, that will guide an increase in skills and knowledge.

What is a clinical data reporting system?

An information system that pulls together data from a range of administrative, financial and clinical systems across SA Health, and enables users to access and define reports and other analytics.

View the Clinical Data Strategy - Data collection systems diagram (PDF 63KB).

Key elements of the clinical data strategy

The Clinical Data Strategy information sheet (PDF 109KB) describes the four streams of work.

  • Stream 1 - Evaluating and monitoring the success of Transforming Health
  • Stream 2 - Developing and using a standard set of management and clinical measures
  • Stream 3 - Developing and using specific set of clinical indicators for clinical specialties
  • Stream 4 - Building skills and knowledge for data-informed quality improvement, among clinicians and managers.

Governance for clinical reporting

The newly established SA Health Clinical Data Steering Committee has Executive sponsorship from The Deputy CEO, and is chaired by Professor Paddy Philips.

The Committee is accountable for Streams 2 and 3 of the Clinical Data Strategy.

View the Clinical Data Steering Committee terms of reference (PDF 180KB) for committee membership information and 2015-2016 meeting schedule.

First steps

To commence the program of work, projects have been commissioned to:

  1. Describe the requirements of an integrated/consolidated clinical data solution, including:
    • Confirming the reporting platform and team required to undertake development activities
    • investigating available commercial or other product(s) that will meet clinical reporting requirements
    • developing a business case, including options for allocation of resources and timeframes for the completion of deliverables.

Stakeholder consultation is in progress, led by Armand DeSandu.

  1. Describe the learning and educational requirements for SA Health staff to enable skilled and knowledgeable use of an integrated data system.

Stakeholder consultation is in progress, led by Verity Hall. All SA Health staff were invited to complete an online survey that closed on 4 September 2015.

This provided feedback about the education and training needs of clinical staff and managers in relation to skilled use of clinical data for quality improvement.

We received a great response - thank you to everyone who took the time to give their feedback.

Further information

For further information, contact your Local Health Network representative on the SA Health Clinical Data Steering Committee or email Health.ClinicalDataCommittee@sa.gov.au.