Harnessing data in health innovation: thoughts from our recent bootcamp
As a data-driven organisation, Ways to Wellness has been looking at new digital and technological solutions to ensure the information we capture helps with health system innovation, by fully demonstrating the impact of the non-medical interventions we test, on patients, communities, and healthcare infrastructure – and showcases the difference made by our specialist link workers.
As part of this, it has been of huge benefit to support a five-day bootcamp provided by the National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD), at which trainees tackled a real-world challenge from Ways to Wellness, exploring how data solutions could unlock deeper understanding from more than 11,000 of our patient journeys.
The challenge, which took place between 22-26 September at the NICD in Newcastle upon Tyne, was set by our Head of Implementation Ang Broadbridge and Head of Digital Systems Sonia Townend. Three teams were tasked with exploring our organisational data architecture and process flows, understanding the unique needs and challenges facing the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, and developing practical, realistic ways to unlock the value in our intelligence.
Each day featured an hour-long online meeting with Sonia and Ang, to take questions, and to explore and develop ideas. Ang said: “With each passing day we came away feeling the groups were posing highly relevant questions, sometimes stretching us to think differently and outside the box about the potential for digital and Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovations.”
The three projects were:
Starstruc: Summarise, standardise, streamline – a digital solution for the conversion of long-form notes recorded within social prescribing link work
Redacted: The anonymisation of imported data on demand
CurrentFlow: The visualisation of patient journeys over time to automate reporting and generate insight.
The week culminated in each team presenting their project to Ang, Sonia, and NICD staff, demonstrating their creativity, teamwork and technical skill.
Ang continued: “We were not disappointed. In fact we were rendered speechless by the care, thought and technical ability on display. These inspirational projects were supported by prototype demonstrations, models and test data, and the teams didn’t stop there – each presentation contained ideas for how the solution could be ‘even better if…’
“All the teams had taken the time to really understand the unique landscape of the VCSE and given careful thought to our patients, staff and the wider health system in their solutions.”
Sonia added: “I was blown away by how well the teams understood the challenges and were genuinely curious about how we work and the data we collect. They showed real skill in turning those challenges into working solutions that could help us showcase the work we do, and support our link workers to provide even more effective care to our clients.
“Along the way, we learned more about design, innovation, and the challenge process itself, and felt privileged to have these amazing brains come together for five whole days to focus on supporting us to make the most of our data.”
Dr Paul Goodman is a Senior Data Scientist at NICD. He said: "The six-month AI Traineeship Programme is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. It’s intended to give Newcastle University graduates the chance to gain industry-relevant experience in data science and AI – solving business challenges with partner organisations working alongside NICD experts.
“The five-day bootcamp was an intense, experiential learning event where trainees sought to address data challenges and improve workflows for Ways to Wellness that will ultimately enhance quality-of-life for healthcare patients. NICD thanks all involved at Ways to Wellness in helping enrich the trainees’ experience, and challenge them with real-world problems."
The AI Traineeship Bootcamp programme forms part of an NICD pilot supporting graduates looking to gain industry experience. This bright group certainly impressed us, and we wish them well as they step forward into their collaborative projects and traineeships.
