What can ICSs learn from the pandemic?

One of the few bright spots of the Covid-19 pandemic was the response we saw from society and its services. The NHS and health services in particular were placed under great strain, having to reconfigure, almost overnight, how vital health services would be maintained, how Covid patients would be treated and how staff would be kept safe. The NHS rose to the challenge, giving cause for optimism around the implementation of integrated care services (ICSs).

ICSs will bring about changes in IT and software infrastructure, namely in the way that services are aligned and data is shared. The aim is to provide a more joined-up patient care experience whilst also equipping each service within an ICS with the information that they need on a patient. This will reduce duplication of work, driving efficiency through the care ecosystem.

As ever, theory and practice can remain divergent from one another, so getting each facet of an ICS to become interoperable with the rest of the services will be a challenge. The pandemic, however, shows that interoperable services can be achieved.

Why is the pandemic relevant?

With society closing down, hospital admissions spiking and other care services suffering from the knock-on affect of the redistribution of professionals and services, health services changed dramatically in a breathlessly short space of time.

PPE had to be provided to frontline workers. Beds had to be made available to Covid patients. Super hospitals were built in London and Birmingham, although thankfully weren’t needed.

Then there was the rapid response of producing a vaccine. That vaccine then needed administering on a basis of vulnerability. The elderly and unwell were vaccinated first, then the rest of society in descending age brackets.

Village halls were turned into testing and vaccination centres. A whole new technological ecosystem had to be created to record the administration of vaccines and note how many cases were being experienced. From testing to vaccines to deployment, the response was immediate and brilliantly executed for the most part. When the chips were down, health services responded.

How can ICSs learn from this?

The rapid redeployment of resources, as well as the creation and implementation of a technology ecosystem to record outcomes was impressive. Health services can respond at short notice to new challenges.

The roll out of ICSs isn’t nearly so dramatic. There is planning and oversight in place, but it will result in changes to the way data is recorded and shared. Change isn’t always something that we embrace, but the sentiment of improving and enhancing the delivery of care services can only be a good thing.

We’ve also seen that the way in which we approach healthcare has changed. Phone and video appointments are now more commonplace, creating efficiency in the process. Vaccines are still being rolled out to combat Covid, a reminder of the pace of change and how it has altered the healthcare landscape.

Change can be embraced and implemented quickly. The pandemic has shown us that. It’s one of the few positives to emerge from the episode.

How can technology help?

Technology is fundamental to how ICSs go about meeting the challenge of creating interoperable services (something we explored in more detail here). The response to handling Covid test results and the roll out of the vaccine required intelligent use of technology to underpin the process. It also kept other services moving, with the switch to video calls and so forth for routine appointments. The upheaval in staff schedules also required a systems response to manage it.

Technology can be sourced and implemented quickly. With the drive to data sharing, other aspects such as data regulations must also be considered, so the main challenge is selecting the right partner for the needs of your services. The needs of each facet of an ICS are bespoke, so a technology solution that fits your requirements is paramount, to ensure that data is utilised your way and that rules are adhered to.

It’s inconceivable that a single technology system would be appropriate across an entire ICS, so selecting the right technology is important. It will, however, need to support the wider aims of the ICS in creating knowledge and information sharing across services.

Conclusion

Technology will be vital to the success of ICSs, as it was to the response to the pandemic and the ongoing vaccine rollout. As we start to emerge from the shadow of the pandemic, there is a cost to be realised by our health services of the necessary response to it.

Many routine appointments and surgeries were delayed and delayed. There is a backlog of tasks that must now be tackled. Out of the frying pan and into the fire? It is certainly a major challenge across health services but far from an insurmountable one.

The aims of ICSs, in creating a joined-up health service which thrives amid mutual knowledge sharing and understanding, will create the necessary efficiencies in process to combat these delays.

There are positive lessons in the healthcare sector to be gleaned from the pandemic. The pooling of resources and talents kept health services afloat at a time of previously unimaginable strain. Putting those lessons and experiences to effective use will stand ICSs in good stead.

We explore how ICSs drive improved patient experiences and outcomes in our latest white paper, Integrated care systems and the role of technology to support patients across the UK. You can download your free copy here.