Hi all, this is hopefully going to be a wiki (if I can manage to do that) to provide a response to the Heather Simpson report. I have modified an initial wiki written by @BeckyGeorge from the CiLN govenance section. The response is meant as a brief “this is us and we want to be involved” sort of document. Please feel free to edit, we will want to get it out as a general CiLN response early next week. Thanks also to @RMcBeth and @karenblake for the kick start.
CiLN is a NZ-based multi-disciplinary and responsive health network developed by and for Clinicians with an interest in data and/or digital health developments. Currently CiLN is represented by more than 230 Clinicians of wide spread professional skills both within the public and private sector.
CiLN is pleased to see Data and Digital featured strongly in the Health and Disability Review interim report. It is obvious that the reviewers recognise both the risks and benefits of advances in digital technology. We endorse the expressed need for robust governance, effective analytics and the recognition that a workforce with digital skills/capability is vital to the future of health care in New Zealand. To this end CiLN would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the MoH to provide a Clinical partner for further conversation.
Clinicians are highly embedded in their digital environment and recognise, as does the report, the high level of technical debt that has been incurred in the New Zealand health system over many years. This is reflected in both outdated hardware and software in our DHBs but also in issues of inter-operability and difficulties of scaling innovations. It is also noted that the lack of agility within DHBs has encouraged individual Clinicians to develop digital solutions, which then creates silos of data and digital development. We are also pleased to see the acknowledgement that chronic underinvestment is leading to increasing inefficiencies for the clinical workforce and we believe that as a group we are in a good position to partner towards improvement in the future.
CiLN would like to emphasise the importance of broad clinical partnership when it comes to data and digital projects in the health sector and welcomes the opportunity to work alongside the Data and Digital team at the MoH to provide a Clinical voice.
Well done! Just a thought.
Is it worth adding how vital a strong, reliable, fast internet is needed to build the health service upon, to avoid a technology gap between those who have good access and those who don’t?
A Ferrari, no matter how high end and top spec, cannot perform to capacity on an unsealed road!
Hi Ruth. I think it is good that CiLN respond in support of the report’s emphasis on data and digital and note “Clinicians are highly embedded in their digital environment and recognise, as does the report, the high level of technical debt that has been incurred in the New Zealand health system over many years. This is reflected in both outdated hardware and software in our DHBs but also in issues of inter-operability and difficulties of scaling innovations. It is also noted that the lack of agility within DHBs has encouraged individual Clinicians to develop digital solutions which then creates silos of data and digital development. We are also pleased to see the acknowledgement that chronic underinvestment is leading to increasing inefficiencies for the clinical workforce”.
In regard to “To this end CiLN would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the MoH to provide a Clinical partner for further conversation.” and “and we believe that as a group we are in a good position to partner towards improvement in the future.” and “CiLN would like to emphasise the importance of broad clinical partnership when it comes to data and digital projects in the health sector and welcomes the opportunity to work alongside the Data and Digital team at the MoH to provide a Clinical voice.”. I don’t think this conversation needs to be had via a response to the review. I would like to have that conversation directly and sooner rather than later.
Question is, who does the Ministry engage with on this?
In the first instance @shayne.hunter maybe we meet with @Ruth_Large@darren.douglass and discuss how we can collaborate and support the data and digital team at the Ministry. I can set up a zoom meeting if that works for you.
We have met with @juliet.rumball-smith recently via zoom to offer her our support and to engage with the clinical cluster.
Thanks @shayne.hunter appreciate the support and of course we are keen to engage earlier rather than later
I guess one of the things we have tried hard to do with CiLN is to be entirely democratic and take a bit of an alternative approach to a formal committee. Whilst @karenblake, @NathanK and myself are ‘chair’ there is no formal governance and this has allowed gr8 things like organic groups to look at position statements and the potential for a digital academy.
So by structure for further participation I would see our role as facilitatory and using this fantastic network to make sense of suggestions and take advantage of particular skill sets.
That’s my long way of saying ‘what she said’. Thanks @karenblake.
@i.hunter I do remember NICL and I know there were many who were disappointed when it was disbanded. I think we are in a different time and space now and CiLN provides an alternative approach which I am keen to embrace. In saying that, @Ruth_Large, I do think that we need to think about how to structure this without it being a committee I am a big believer in clarity of purpose and focus. We need this if we are get what we collectively want…actually need!
Great to see this conversation progressing to a including more formal structures of clinical leadership when it comes to digital and data. I’d be keen to be involved, or at the very least hear the options that you are considering regarding structures, purpose and functions.
Kia ora whanau. I’m very happy to support this work and group as able. Agree with @shayne.hunter on the importance of ‘clarity of purpose’. Also tautoko to @Ruth_Large about the ‘specialness’ (is that a word?) of CiLN as a group that is multi-professional, cross-sector, highly skilled & experienced in real-life NZ health, and most importantly super accessible. Important to nurture this.
Thanks @juliet.rumball-smith for the vote of confidence in what we are trying to do with CiLN. It’s been quite wonderful to see the membership grow so quickly, and we are certainly approaching it with an inclusivity lens- which I think has helped us grow organically and to become so wide reaching across the sector.
We do have a charter for CiLN, and our advisory panel- so there is some structure, without us becoming bogged down in bureaucracy in these early days. We have all seen many interest groups come and go over the years and want to foster CiLN to have longevity through the combined and collaborative approach.
