Competency 7 - Stimulating the market to meet demand and secure the right clinical, health and wellbeing outcomes
PCTs will need to have in place a range of responsive providers that they can choose from. Knowledge Management techniques will be helpful because to achieve this Competency PCTs must first understand the current and future market and provider requirements.
Employing their knowledge of future priorities, needs and community aspirations, PCTs will use their investment power to influence improvement, choice and service design through new or existing providers to secure the desired outcomes and quality, effectively shaping their market and increasing local choice of provision. This will include building upon local social capital and encouraging provision via third sector organisations. Where adequate provider choice does not exist, PCTs will need clear strategies to address this need, especially in areas of relatively poor health experience, access or outcome.
You can read more about this Competency, including the key information-related inputs and outputs required to meet this Competency here: Competency 7 - Knowledge Management Summary.
There are two areas of this Competency where Knowledge Management has particular relevance:
- Knowledge of current and future provider capacity and capability
- Alignment of provider capacity with health needs assessments
Below you will find summaries of how Knowledge Management can support your development in each of these areas, along with a choice of resources which we feel may help.
KNOWLEDGE OF CURRENT AND FUTURE PROVIDER CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY
In addition to some of the recommendations in previous sections (PBC Reporting, risk stratification etc.), introduction of innovative health & well being programs that stimulate the local population to take an active part in their own wellbeing, have produced very positive outcomes. Stoke PCT is in the midst of a pilot program that involves providing pedometers to patients with high BMI and then motivating them to keep active via the use of health coaches and online tools that help the patients track their daily activity and get health tips. The results so far have been very positive. Birmingham North & East PCT is embarking on a similar program and Stoke is planning to expand the pilot to include the rest of the population and its own employees.
At a minimum, the PCT will have conducted analysis drawing on patient feedback and an assessment of the market to identify a full range of core providers for each speciality and level of care. To reach Level 4, the PCT will need to have identified cost and quality for each procedure in each area of care, with a dedicated resource containing expertise to support provider capability development. A parallel would be in the car industry, and the MBSA – the Mutually Beneficial Supplier Arrangement. Car makers only assemble components which they source from their suppliers. The better the components they get, the better the car will be (with resulting benefits for the car maker’s reputation, warranty repair costs, profit margins and ultimate bottom line). It is therefore worthwhile for the car maker to invest in making their suppliers better at what they do.
For a list of resources relating to this area, including a summary of the documents and rating, click here.
ALIGNMENT OF PROVIDER CAPACITY WITH HEALTH NEEDS PROJECTIONS
At a minimum, the PCT will have identified gaps in market supply and have plans in place to mitigate these. It will also use demand projections, demand management assumptions and population need to project required capacity and respond accordingly.
To reach Level 4, will use needs modelling, demand projections and risk analysis forecasts to identify required capacity by provider type, speciality and care/ patient pathway.
For a list of resources relating to this area, including a summary of the documents and rating, click here.
