A new report shows how the move has translated to new programs now being piloted by the network.
Moving to cloud-based technology has led to better insights and outcomes for the South Western Sydney Primary Health Network, a new report shows.
SWSPHN moved to Qlik Cloud Analytics last year and has been monitoring the results to assess the benefits of a cloud-based service.
The network has multiple roles in the provision of healthcare in the region it serves, all of which depend heavily on its ability to gather, analyse and report on data relating to community healthcare requirements and service provision.
Key responsibilities include the appropriate allocation of government funding for specific initiatives, working with practitioners to improve healthcare provision and reporting to DoHAC on community needs.
To allocate funding, SWSPHN has to quantify primary healthcare needs, design services to meet them and award tenders to fulfil the requirements it has identified. Gathering and analysing the necessary data to achieve this is a vital part of the process.
“We then have to work out how the service should be designed to meet those needs and that requires lots of data, said SWSPHN digital health and data manager Nick McGhie in the report.
Mr McGhie said SWSPHN’s initial impetus to move Qlik to the cloud came through strategic advice from Alex Avery, founder and managing director at Notitia, which provides expertise on modernising data environments.
SWSPHN initially approached Notitia to manage its on-premises Qlik implementation, but discussions led to a decision to migrate to Qlik Cloud Analytics, he said.
The technology had allowed the SWSPN to launch several projects to take advantage of the enhanced functionality, said Mr McGhie.
“More people have better access to data,” he said.
“That’s leading to better insights and ultimately better outcomes for the programs and initiatives that we manage for the people of South Western Sydney.”
Two initial programs at the pilot stage—one focusing on mental health and one on alcohol and other drugs—are being designed to give external users access to key data and analysis.
Once fully validated, they will be rolled out to around 50 health organisations with the aim of improving insights into the results of their activities, enabling them to improve planning and further enhance their operations.
Another early-stage project will use the enhanced functionality of the cloud-based analytics to develop and report on KPIs that will enable the SWSPHN Board to better understand and assess how well the organisation is meeting its various objectives.