Clinical Information Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Assist with all aspects of information work within the Clinical Audit & Research Unit. This will include, but is not limited to, tasks relating to the EMAS Clinical Audit & Service Evaluation and Research Programmes, national and local Clinical Performance Indicators (CPIs) and national Ambulance Quality Indicators (ACQIs).

• Assist in management and analysis of complex datasets using spreadsheets, databases and other software tools.

• Prepare data from a range of sources. This may include extracting appropriate data from sources such as spreadsheets, databases, SQL Report Manager, paper or electronic patient report forms, Alert C3 Computer Aided Dispatch System (CAD), the NHS Summary Care Record (SCR) and Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP).

• Carry out checks for data quality and consistency, investigating discrepancies and taking action to resolve. This may involve reporting issues to line manager, contacting data providers for missing data and running further checks on data accuracy.

• Validation of clinical information in line with procedures, guidance or precedent. This includes abstracting and analysing patient medical records to determine whether patient care has been delivered in accordance with clinical guidelines (e.g. CPIs, clinical audit).

• Reformatting and manipulating data appropriately.

• Run and disseminate regular activity and performance reports using a wide range of data sources.

• Ensure information is provided to a cycle of deadlines and timely, high quality reports are presented in line with departmental procedure or precedent.

• May be required to undertake preparation and submission of statutory and routine reporting as required. This may include submission of data for ACQIs to the Department of Health.

• Assist in the monitoring and improvement of patient care by utilising Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Quality Improvement (QI) methodologies as required.

• Ensure the timely, accurate scanning and processing of paper patient report forms.

• Respond to requests for both anonymised and patient identifiable information (PII) in a range of formats from internal and external stakeholders (e.g. police, coroners) in line with Caldicott, Data Protection and Information Governance.

• Attend mandatory training as required by the organisation and any other training identified as necessary within the team.

• Attend meetings as required.

Communication and Relationship Skills

• Ability to present highly complex information verbally and in writing, adjusting styles to meet the requirements of different audiences. This will include interpreting statistical and analytical results from clinical audit, service evaluation and research in order to explain their meaning to non-statistical/analytical professionals.

• Maintain effective relationships with various departments, managers and external stakeholders in relation to (for example) ACQIs, MINAP, CPIs and internal clinical audit projects.

• Provide clear, accurate information to the Head of Clinical Governance, Audit and Research to ensure decisions are taken based on robust evidence.

• Communicate highly sensitive PII in line with legislation, policy and procedure.

Knowledge, Training and Experience

• Experience of data analysis and associated software packages e.g. MS Excel, MS Access.

• Experience of data manipulation including storage, retrieval and updating.

• Knowledge of medical terminology.

• Experience in application of Caldicott Guidelines and Data Protection Legislation.

• Responsible for ensuring own knowledge is kept up-to-date, attending training and gaining qualifications where appropriate.

Analytical and Judgement Skills

• Abstract and analyse patient medical records to determine whether patient care has been delivered in accordance with clinical guidelines (e.g. CPIs, ACQIs, clinical audit).

• Comparing data from different sources and judging the appropriate source for the task in hand (e.g. CAD, paper/electronic patient report forms, MINAP)

• Able to provide quality, consistency and accuracy during all aspects of data collection, cleansing, analysis and presentation.

• Make judgements involving complex facts or situations, many of which require analysis (e.g. clinical audit).

Planning and Organisational Skills

• The post holder will be required to work regularly without supervision.

• Meet strict deadlines for routine reports and submission of performance management figures (e.g. ACQIs, CQIs).

• Pro-actively manage own workload, prioritising unpredictable and conflicting demands while still meeting statutory deadlines.

• Dealing with information requests from a wide range of stakeholders, often with short deadlines.

Physical Skills

• Will be sitting at a computer more or less continuously on most days and will require standard keyboard skills.

• May be required to lift archive boxes of paper patient report forms.

• Based in a busy office with frequent interruptions.

• Occasional travel to meetings or for training purposes may be required.

Patient/Client Care

• May advise patients on accessing their medical records. No face to face patient contact.

Policy/Service Development

• Implement policies for own area of responsibility and propose policy/service changes for own work area.

Financial and Physical Resources

• Observe a personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources used in the course of work.

Human Resources

• Provide non-clinical advice relating to clinical information. May need to demonstrate reporting tools occasionally and advise operational staff on completing station patient report form compliance audits.

• Indentify areas for own personal development to continually improve performance.

• Taking part in the appraisal and personal development process and undertake development activities that are identified.

Information Resources

• Shared responsibility for maintaining one or more clinical information resources.

• Input, manipulate and extract data accurately as required to provide clinical information.

• Prepare and present information in analyses, reports and projects as required.

• Maintain confidentiality of highly sensitive patient information in both paper and electronic formats.

Research and Development

• Undertake surveys and audits as necessary to work area to support the audit and research programmes.

• Undertake regular clinical audit projects, data collection and manipulation, data analysis and interpretation and production of results and reports.

Freedom to Act

• Is guided by standard departmental procedures, good practice and established precedents and understands what results or standards are to be achieved. Manager usually available for reference and work may be checked on a sample/random basis.

Mental Effort

• Frequent requirement for prolonged concentration and attention to detail when processing data, conducting analysis and preparing reports. Requires accuracy and continual checking of own work.

Emotional Effort

• Exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances is rare but some of the datasets can be distressing on occasion e.g. child deaths.

Person Specification

Shortlisting

• Education
• Use of Microsoft Packages
• Analytical Skills
• Planning and organisational Skills
• Data protection Knowledge
• Evidence of problem solving Skills

• Clinical Audit experience
• Report writing Skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer details

Employer name

East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Address

Nottingham Headquarters

Beechdale Road

nottingham

NG8 3LL

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.emas.nhs.uk/