Exclusive: NHS England has confirmed to Digital Health News that the 2024 Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA) survey will include primary care for the first time.
THE AMD is a survey launched in 2023 to help NHS trusts and integrated care systems across England understand their level of digital maturity by identifying key strengths and gaps in digital service delivery.
In 2023, the survey was sent to acute, ambulance, community and mental health settings, but an NHSE spokesperson told Digital Health News that this year's DMA includes “clearer capture of information » with “an extension to primary care”.
“The DMA helps NHS organizations improve their digital services and has been extended to general practice to provide a more comprehensive picture of local services,” the spokesperson said.
They added that DMA is part of “a broad range of factors and information sources” on which spending decisions are based.
The survey was sent to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in April and final submissions are expected in June 2024, the NHSE confirmed.
Commenting on the expansion of DMA into primary care, Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust chief information officer and program director Lee Rickles told Digital Health News it was “a good thing and necessary”.
“Having a comprehensive picture of our digital capacity using a common measure makes it easier to plan, invest and disseminate best practice across the NHS,” Rickles said.
Dr Paul Jones, director of digital information at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and chair of the Digital Health Network CIO Advisory Committee, told Digital Health News that “having a consistent view of trust maturity is a good thing,” but said that “There are far too many questions and the answers may be too variable to really draw any conclusions.”
He added that it would be good for the NHSE to add social care to the DMA in coming years to provide a “view of the digital maturity of all partners in a system”, but the complexity of social care means “that 'it will take more time to obtain a coherent vision'. DMA”.
A spokesperson for NHS West Yorkshire ICB told Digital Health News: “Achieving a consistent understanding of maturity in GP IT delivery is beneficial.
“With many variables and diverse delivery models, drawing concrete conclusions from surveys can be difficult, particularly among general practices. Additionally, the scope extends beyond GP IT teams, encompassing secondary care and practice responsibilities.
“The development of maturity in digital primary care, as highlighted in previous assessments, highlights the need for comprehensive support and resources across the sector.”
The release date for the DMA results has not been announced.
The 2023 assessment included 50 questions, measuring maturity against seven dimensions of What Good Looks Like framework: well-run and smart foundations, safe practices, supporting people, empowering citizens, improving care and healthy populations.
The results of the 2023 survey showed that only 10-30% of NHS trusts with an electronic patient record had key features and were making full use of their system.