The International Journal of Health Governance has highlighted the Insight 2020 event organised by the Strategy Unit and the NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (MLCSU) in its editorial as one of the year’s “most interesting and inspirational events”.
The six-week Insight 2020 festival was a feast for data analysts and healthcare leaders, featuring virtual events throughout the autumn. The festival explored some of the challenges facing healthcare decision-makers and the emerging models of practice for making the best use of analysis in decision-making, and highlighted some of the ground-breaking work already underway.
Andi Orlowski, Director of the Health Economics Unit , and Oxford University senior clinical research fellow Ben Goldacre were keynote speakers in the first of the online events, describing how open approaches could revolutionise health data science in the UK and discussing “Dangerous analytics…and how local analysts can save you!”
In addition, Andi joined the panel discussion sessions on the future of decision support units (DSUs) within the NHS and shaping future analytical priorities.
Bruno Petrungaro, Senior Econometrician at the Health Economics Unit, also presented alongside Andi at an event jointly delivered as part of the third NHS-R Community conference on Causal Inference in Population Health Management.
Supporting decision-making across the NHS
Each week the festival focused on a key theme ranging from the decision-making context in 2020 and the role of the decision support network, to analytical priorities and a special focus on health inequalities.
It included virtual events with almost 50 speakers and workshops and panels that facilitated discussions among attendees from across the country.
The festival also promoted the resources being developed by MLSCU, including a practical guide to carrying out high-quality evaluations, and a guide to support strategic decision-making in health and social care.
The journal editorial said:
“Excellent speakers and creative approaches made those 33 events a great learning opportunity” and added: “The questions raised and solutions suggested were very practical and evidence-based.”
Andi said:
“HEU has a key role in using data and analysis to tell a story and inform quality decision making. It was an excellent opportunity for our team to work with colleagues from across the MLCSU, Strategy Unit and the Midlands DSU Network, to share our knowledge and expertise with a wide range of analysts and decision-makers.”
All of the session videos are available to view via the dedicated webpage.