Information and communication technologies (ICT) have been growing at an unprecedented rate. From electronic health records, picture archiving systems to prescribing services and reporting tools, these new technologies have impacted the way in which the NHS provides its services. This has given the healthcare sector potential to improve effectiveness, efficiency and patient safety without increasing costs. Whilst the rate of technology evolution still precedes the rate of adoption in the healthcare sector, there is sufficient growth to require a workforce that is not only equipped to use these technologies, but can adapt as needed to accommodate new ones. This must therefore be reflected in the skills that are required of staff.
Currently …show more content…
The KSF outlines dimensions that describe various NHS roles and levels of working for different staff groups and are often used to create core job descriptions. From the time of publication of the KSF (2004), there have been considerable changes in the use of ICT in healthcare.
To be able to fulfil the ambitions set in the government’s information strategy , NHS staff need to robust ICT skills and an understanding of data quality, ability to use data for quality improvement and be aware of the principles of information governance.
The current challenge is how do we define the competencies required by each staff group in the NHS and how do we work to support our staff to ensure that they have these skills. A study focused on nursing looked at how NHS employers are incorporating ICT and information management competencies in job descriptions and person specifications in advertised job positions . The results showed a lack of consistency in the wider information management and ICT knowledge and skills stated as a requirement in job descriptions with 84% of nursing job descriptions analysed in the study used vague expression of competence such as ‘To be IT literate’, ‘IT skills’ and ‘Working knowledge of Microsoft
Currently …show more content…
The KSF outlines dimensions that describe various NHS roles and levels of working for different staff groups and are often used to create core job descriptions. From the time of publication of the KSF (2004), there have been considerable changes in the use of ICT in healthcare.
To be able to fulfil the ambitions set in the government’s information strategy , NHS staff need to robust ICT skills and an understanding of data quality, ability to use data for quality improvement and be aware of the principles of information governance.
The current challenge is how do we define the competencies required by each staff group in the NHS and how do we work to support our staff to ensure that they have these skills. A study focused on nursing looked at how NHS employers are incorporating ICT and information management competencies in job descriptions and person specifications in advertised job positions . The results showed a lack of consistency in the wider information management and ICT knowledge and skills stated as a requirement in job descriptions with 84% of nursing job descriptions analysed in the study used vague expression of competence such as ‘To be IT literate’, ‘IT skills’ and ‘Working knowledge of Microsoft