Data strategies, governance and policies

In this lecture, we’ll talk about data strategies, governance, and policies.

Strategy, governance, policies– whatever you want to call these pieces of work– are very important in forming how we work with our data. They set hierarching themes on the importance of different areas, and they also outline how you want to go about your work. In Scotland– in the health and care sector in Scotland, we’ve got a number of different areas of influence that effectively shape that from a high-level policy objective. We’ve got EU and UK government policies that help shape this, and we’ve also got Scottish government policies. If we look specifically at data and areas like that, we can, for example, look at the Scottish 2020 data vision, which looks at systematically and innovatively using data to improve decision making.

Making reference to these pieces of policy and work are really important to help you get a strong foundation to the work you’re planning to do. And it also helps you engage your stakeholders if you’re aware of the policies and strategies that are helpful in this process. The UK government recognise the role of data as well, and their UK government digital strategy from 2017. And specifically action item seven, which looks at unlocking the power of data in the UK economy and improving public confidence in its use.

We’re also seeing from the draft version, as it sits at the moment, Scotland’s 2017 to 2022 Digital Health and Social Care Strategy. This proposes that digital technology and data will be used appropriately and innovatively to help plan and improve services, enable research, and economic development. So we can very quickly see, from a couple of different examples, the themes of using data innovation. Very important in these strategies, and very important to health and social care outcomes. Other great examples to have a look at from a strategy perspective is the digital-first Public Health England’s digital strategy. This places a large emphasis on the importance of digital data, and in health, and using analytics to fulfil that remit.

Public Health England wish to take a digital-first approach to lead the development of new models of public health within the public health system. Really important in 2018, from a policy perspective, is the new General Data Protection Regulations. These have been led from an EU level and transposed into law into the UK and Scotland.

The General Data Protection Regulations give greater control of personal data to the person who is the subject of that data. Generally speaking, unless it’s of really high importance to the state, under GDPR, the person has to give consent for the use of the data, and they’re able to withdraw that consent at any time. So it’s quite impactful on the type of work you’re doing.

In addition to being able to withdraw consent, people have to know exactly what’s happening with the processing of their data. So if that piece of data from their own information is merged with another piece of data from another sector or something like that, the person has to know what’s going to be happening with this data, and how it’s being analysed. And again, they have the right to withdraw that information– that consent of that information at any time. And really importantly as well, they have the right to get access to that data at any point.

So if you’ve got data about a person in your databases, or you’re working with that data, you need to be aware that that consent can be removed at any time. But you also have to be aware that you have to be able to send that data to them. So it’s really important in the context of how you’re working with data. And you also have to be able to delete that data, if requested, as well. So our mini lecture looked at the importance of strategies and policies. We need to use the strategies and policies to frame our work.

You will get much more strength from your work, if they’re in line with these strategies and policies, that will help you get funding, or get political buy-in and support. And will also further, down the line, help the support come in to when you’ve found some outcomes, or you have some initiatives, because they tie with strategies and policies. And it’s also important to consider the personal data that you’re working with, to make sure you’re compliant with any regulations, such as General Data Protection Regulations coming into force in 2018.