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Clinical requirements for information and digital technologies

Academy of Medical Royal Colleges publish requirements to ensure that clinical priorities for use of data and technology are met nationally.

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After extensive consultation with its members, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) has published a set of clinical requirements for information and digital technologies. These have been developed on behalf of the other professions, to ensure that clinical priorities for the use of data and technology are met at a national level.

Information and Digital Technologies Clinical Requirements 2020, provides a set of standards, in plain English, which will enable people working on the frontline in healthcare to exploit the information revolution. It is also designed to support NIB’s framework for action, Personalised Health and Care 2020.

The work was overseen by NIB’s Strategic Clinical Reference Group (SCRG), which has membership from across the clinical professions.

Clare Marx, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, who led the SCRG which oversaw the work said:

We know we are a long way behind the curve when it comes to using information more effectively to improve care. We need to redouble our efforts, but it’s important too that clinicians have a say on what systems are introduced, how they work and what the benefits should be. This report does just that and should be closely read by those who are planning our healthcare systems for the next decade.

Information and technology need to work for the health and care professionals who care for people. It’s essential to ensure that clinical priorities are reflected in the portfolio of programmes delivering the National Information Board’s (NIB) framework for action, Personalised Health and Care 2020.

Through the SCRG, clinicians play a vital role in shaping the digital strategy for health and care services nationally to ensure that decisions taken lead to real improvements on the ground with tangible advances in the quality of care patients and service users receive.

Published 31 March 2017