ST0830Health and care intelligence specialist Standards

National Competency Framework for transforming data on individual or population health and service usage, along with other forms of evidence, into actionable health and care intelligence.

HEALTH AND CARE INTELLIGENCE SPECIALISTOccupation summary

Overview of the role: Take data on individual or population health and use of services and other forms of evidence and turn it into health and care intelligence.

This occupation is found across a wide range of organizations within the health and social care sector. These organizations include those that study population health, plan, commission, manage, deliver, monitor, and evaluate health and social care policies and services. The settings range from central government departments and arms-length bodies to individual NHS organizations and local authorities. Community Interest Companies and Academic Health Science Networks may also employ individuals in this role.

The primary purpose of this occupation is to transform data on individual or population health, service usage, and other forms of evidence—such as scientific publications and evidence reviews—into actionable health and care intelligence. This intelligence is used to impact decision-makers across the health and care system, ultimately leading to improved population health and better patient outcomes and experiences. Professionals in this role are involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of health and care services. They collect or work with those who collect specific health and care data to ensure it can be used not only for direct clinical care and service provision but also for strategic decision-making.

Health and Care Intelligence Specialists influence both strategic and operational decisions by building and maintaining strong collaborative relationships with key stakeholders and colleagues at all levels. Their work contributes to better health and care policy decisions at national and local levels and to the improved implementation of services across health and social care. In their daily work, they interact with team members, organizational managers, and both internal and external stakeholders. Much of their output takes the form of reports for publication or analysis presented to senior managers and decision-makers, such as boards and elected officials. Depending on their setting, they may also provide information to central government, other organizations, or the public.

Health and Care Intelligence Specialists regularly interact with colleagues who manage IT systems, handle data governance and security, or use data for specific purposes (e.g., finance or human resources). They often collaborate with other Health and Care Intelligence Specialists across different organizations and geographical levels. The organizational structures they work within may vary, with reporting lines to directors of finance, commissioning, IT, or public health.

Depending on their setting, these specialists work with clinicians and service providers to support departmental and project management, evaluate care, and support research. They also collaborate with planners and policymakers, including those responsible for public health functions. At the national level, they may interact with government ministers, members of parliament, national organizations (e.g., charities and patient groups), and the media. Locally, they regularly engage with NHS and local authority managers, elected officials, and representatives of local organizations.

A Health and Care Intelligence Specialist is responsible for leading the production of high-quality information and analysis, including defining information requirements, advising colleagues on data sources and analytical approaches, managing data collection, analyzing data, and producing informative reports and presentations. Their responsibilities vary depending on the organizational setting and specific role. Their work often includes a mix of routine activities, special projects, and ad hoc outputs.

They work with existing health and care data and may also design or conduct bespoke data collections when necessary. They are responsible for negotiating and drafting health and care data-sharing agreements and ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, procedures, and health service guidance on handling confidential patient information.

Health and Care Intelligence Specialists typically interpret research findings and incorporate them into their advice and outputs to support evidence-based interventions. They may also be involved in obtaining and reviewing research findings. They communicate their outputs to non-technical audiences in both written and verbal formats.

At a senior level, these specialists provide leadership within their organizations, advocating for the use of high-quality intelligence to inform decision-making and improve population health and health care services. At almost all levels, they manage, supervise, or coach less experienced staff and sometimes external stakeholders. They are also responsible for managing complex intelligence projects.

Depending on the setting, a Health and Care Intelligence Specialist may focus on NHS and other care providers’ activities, working primarily at the local level but potentially at the national level in organizations with central data management, planning, and oversight functions. Alternatively, they may focus on the health of the population as a whole, working at national, regional, or local levels in organizations responsible for public health and population wellbeing. In some settings, they may undertake specific public health/epidemiological functions, such as infectious disease surveillance.

Typical job titles include:

  • Insight and Intelligence Manager
  • Senior (or Principal) Information Analyst
  • Senior Business Intelligence Analyst (often used for NHS roles)
  • Senior Cancer Information Analyst
  • Senior Information Scientist

MAPPEDHealth and care intelligence specialist Standards

Standard No. ST0830. This standard is from and belongs to IfATE and is used under the terms of the Open Government Licence in the United Kingdom
LEVEL EQF7
ROUTEPsychology & Health Care Management
EQAOfqual UK.Gov
APPLIEDMaster of Psychology
STATUSApproved for Applied

HEALTH AND CARE INTELLIGENCE SPECIALISTOccupation duties & KSBs

Duty 1

Lead on the linking, analysis and interpretation of complex health, care and population data* using the most appropriate specialist health analytical, epidemiological and biostatistical techniques; and draw meaningful conclusions to understand the factors that influence population health, inequalities and the planning and delivery of health and care services. Specialist health analytical techniques may include the use of modelling and forecasting. *Examples of complex data include Hospital Episode Statistics, Read coded primary care data and global burden of disease data.

KSBs:

  • K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K12 K18 K19 K30
  • S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S7 S9 S29
  • B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Duty 2
Lead, or advise expert colleagues, on the design requirements of the most appropriate information systems for holding, linking and analysis of sensitive health and care data and for population health surveillance. This may include advising on the ability of clinical information systems to facilitate secondary analysis of data.
KSBs:
  • K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K14 K15 K18
  • S5 S6 S9 S10 S13 S14 S17
  • B1 B2 B3 B4 B5
Duty 3

Lead the interpretation and presentation of health and care intelligence outputs to a variety of technical and non-technical audiences, including senior decision makers in the NHS and local government. This is likely to include the use of interactive visualisation tools and other related software.

KSBs:

  • K2 K3 K6 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16
  • S7 S8 S9 S13 S14 S15 S16 S20 S21 S29
  • B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B7
Duty 4

Lead and facilitate the transfer of highly complex health and care knowledge using evidence-based knowledge translation frameworks to policy and decision makers.

KSBs:

  • K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17
  • S4 S8 S9 S10 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S21
  • B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B7
Duty 5

Lead or advise on the investigation of patterns and variations in determinants, diseases, conditions influencing health and care outcomes and service evaluations. This will require the use of appropriate study designs and methodologies and appropriate liaison with specialist agencies.

KSBs:

  • K1 K2 K3 K6 K7 K10 K14 K18 K19
  • S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S14 S15 S17 S21 S29
  • B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Duty 6

Lead the design and implementation of health and care surveys, disease surveillance tools and instruments, and service evaluation tools.

KSBs:

  • K1 K2 K3 K6 K7 K8 K10 K11 K12 K14 K18 K19 K30
  • S1 S2 S3 S5 S6 S10 S11 S17
  • B1 B2 B3
Duty 7

Search for and critically appraise relevant evidence and scientific research on health and care intelligence, health determinants and interventions to improve population health or the delivery of care. Formulate specific recommendations based on the interpretation of both data and the appraised evidence

KSBs:

  • K14 K16 K17
  • S8 S9 S12
  • B3 B5 B7
Duty 8

Lead the establishment and development of excellent working relationships with health and care system partners, colleagues and the wider team. System partners are likely to be wide ranging and could include health and wellbeing boards, academics, private and third sector organisations as well as NHS and other public services.

KSBs:

  • K10 K11 K12 K14 K15 K19 K30
  • S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S20 S21 S29
  • B1 B2 B3 B5
Duty 9

Lead the delivery of multiple complex health and care intelligence projects, reviewing and adjusting priorities to meet changing organisational needs.

KSBs:

  • K21 K24
  • S13 S18 S21 S22 S28 S29
  • B1 B2 B3 B5
Duty 10

Lead or advise on compliance with health and care information governance standards and legislation and ensure the team and organisation are adhering to other relevant legislation, policies, procedures with respect to the handling of patient confidential data and information. This may also require seeking ethics or research governance approval when relevant.

KSBs:

  • K6 K8 K9 K10 K18 K19 K29 K30
  • S13 S14 S17 S29
  • B1 B2 B3 B4 B7
Duty 11

Contribute expertise to the preparation of technical documents such as analytical reports, national and organisational policy documents, audits and performance reports.

KSBs:

  • K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K16 K17
  • S3 S4 S8 S9 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S22
  • B2 B3 B6 B7
Duty 12

Provide professional leadership for health and care intelligence, embedding and shaping an evidence-led culture and influencing organisational strategy and the organisation or structure of health and care analytical teams including making the case for appropriate resourcing and development of analytical functions and systems.

KSBs:

  • K11 K12 K14 K20 K21 K22 K29 K30
  • S9 S13 S14 S15 S16 S18 S20 S21 S22 S29
  • B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Duty 13

Manage a health and care intelligence team and its associated resources, including allocation of work, supervision of team members, offering advice and providing specialist on the job support where required.

KSBs:

  • K14 K18 K19 K20 K23 K26 K27 K28
  • S13 S18 S19 S21 S22 S28
  • B1 B2 B3 B5 B6 B7
Duty 14

Develop the analytical and the health and care intelligence skills and knowledge of others (including non-technical staff) in the health and care system through demonstration and promotion of best practice, effective coaching, mentoring, teaching and training.

KSBs:

  • K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K18 K19 K25 K26 K27 K28
  • S3 S4 S5 S7 S10 S11 S12 S23 S24 S25 S26
  • B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Duty 15

Identify and implement change management initiatives to meet technical and organisational requirements, ensuring that the delivery of health and care intelligence is not compromised.

KSBs:

  • K6 K9 K10 K11 K18 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24
  • S13 S16 S18 S19 S20 S27 S28 S29 S30
  • B1 B2 B3 B5 B7
Duty 16

Make the economic case for investment in, and delivery of, health and care services within the context of organisational budgets and targets, always considering the wider financial implications in the local health and care economy.

KSBs:

  • K5 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K19 K20 K22 K23 K29
  • S1 S2 S3 S4 S7 S8 S12 S15 S16 S18 S27 S30
  • B1 B2 B5 B7

HEALTH AND CARE INTELLIGENCE SPECIALISTKSBs in details

Knowledge

K1: The application of advanced level applied statistics, epidemiology and analysis.

K2: The statistical, epidemiological, social and scientific concepts underpinning the interpretation of health data to produce intelligence and the impact of these on both people and organisations.

K3: The strengths and weaknesses of statistical and epidemiological methods, analytical tools and approaches.

K4: The principles of developing data-driven models to understand activity, financial impact or outcomes.

K5: Economic forecasting, economic evaluation and scenario modelling of population health needs, resource and the rationale for longer-term investment in health and care delivery.

K6: A wide range of health and care data sources (e.g. demographic, health, social care, economic, finance, local and national NHS and other relevant data sources) and their relative strengths, weaknesses and uses.

K7: Clinical terminologies in common use across the health and care sector.

K8: Health and care data standards, the Data Dictionary, and data flows across the NHS and social care system; including the latest developments in these areas.

K9: The design principles, and technical aspects of, systems for the input, storage and dissemination of health and care statistical and epidemiological information.

K10: Health and care systems and processes, operational structures and patient pathways (e.g. hospital activity systems).

K11: The context of NHS, central and local government intelligence, including organisational structures and responsibilities, planning cycles, common policy issues, purpose of different types of quantitative assessments, audits and plans.

K12: The major factors influencing health needs and inequalities, including health behaviours and the wider determinants of health.

K13: The principles of using effective written and oral communications to influence others.

K14: The information needs of decision-makers (e.g. in the NHS, central and local government) and how they use information to support decision-making and how the publication of health information may impact the wider population.

K15: The key principles of partnership working, the basics of negotiation and different organisational cultures.

K16: Sources of evidence and examples of best practice and how to access them.

K17: Key techniques for assessing evidence and examples of best practice (e.g. critical appraisal, systematic reviews, meta-analysis and economic evaluation).

K18: The requirements for responsible, legal and ethical access and use of health and care data, including data protection considerations, protection of identifiable personal healthcare data, and understanding and consideration of the risks of statistical disclosure issues especially when presenting and publishing health information.

K19: The legal implications of sharing data and data linkage across organisations and the associated requirements, such as data sharing agreements and data mapping audits.

K20: The role of effective leadership in an organisation and how leadership differs from management.

K21: The role of the analytical function within an organisational structure and the strengths and weaknesses of different models for organising analytical teams.

K22: Organisational theory and behaviour and theories of organisational change.

K23: The processes by which resources are effectively managed, including how to analyse and interpret budget reports, how costs for services are calculated, and how to prepare simple financial statements.

K24: The principles of effective project management and commonly used project management approaches.

K25: How adults learn and how to design effective training in areas of healthcare analysis and intelligence.

K26: How to identify gaps in the knowledge and skills required to fulfil analytical and intelligence roles in the health and care system.

K27: Coaching and mentoring techniques to support the effective learning and development of others.

K28: The importance of continuing professional development and how to maintain specialist knowledge and practice in an ever transforming environment.

K29: The key issues to be considered when balancing patient’s rights versus the public interest, including the acceptability of access to NHS data by different public and private agencies, and how this is discussed in the public domain.

K30: Local child and adult protection procedures and who to contact for further advice.

Skills

S1: Collect data by utilising a variety of tools (e.g. databases, software systems, APIs, digital devices).

S2: Extract, import, clean, and manipulate a wide range of quantitative and qualitative data.

S3: Undertake advanced statistical and epidemiological analysis.

S4: Interpret and present advanced statistical and epidemiological analyses being mindful of the risks associated with presenting and publishing health information.

S5: Undertake linkage of health and care data accurately and in accordance with the relevant information governance requirements.

S6: Design and specify data flows, collection, storage and collation mechanisms for both qualitative and quantitative data.

S7: Develop data visualisations appropriate for a range of audiences and contexts using a variety of analytical tools including statistical programming software and industry standard packages (e.g. R, Tableau, PowerBI).

S8: Professionally interpret and present health and care intelligence analyses and recommendations in a well structured report.

S9: Formulate analysis questions and hypotheses which are answerable given the data available.

S10: Investigate patterns and variations in determinants, diseases, and other factors affecting health and care outcomes.

S11: Design and undertake surveys, audits or research (e.g. to investigate patterns of disease or support service development).

S12: Review, and critically appraise evidence and research including survey design and analysis. Summarise and disseminate relevant literature.

S13: Work with users of information to clarify their information needs, focusing on understanding the problem to solve or decision to inform, and tailor reports and presentations accordingly.

S14: Provide advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders at all organisational levels, on data collection, analysis and interpretation.

S15: Develop and deliver management/Board level presentations which influence senior decision makers, both non-technical and technical.

S16: Communicate sensitively, accurately and appropriately to audiences from technical and non-technical backgrounds.

S17: Comply with, implement and advise on local and national data protection and confidentiality legislation, policies, procedures and any other relevant legal frameworks.

S18: Demonstrate effective leadership and change management skills to influence the use of analysis within an organisation, managing analytical teams and adhering to the principles of continuous improvement.

S19: Evaluate the significance of human factors in the effective development and implementation of organisational strategies for collection, analysis and use of data.

S20: Develop and communicate a vision of how data, intelligence and evidence can be used to influence and improve decision making in an organisation.

S21: Develop effective partnership working arrangements with a range of colleagues across departments and organisations, in particular the public sector and voluntary sectors and academia.

S22: Manage the resources of an analytical team, including staff and budget management.

S23: Support the professional development of others in the health and care system.

S24: Design and deliver effective training and evaluate its impact.

S25: Apply a range of coaching interventions and techniques relevant to the health and care system, selecting the most appropriate method to meet the needs of an individual or group.

S26: Determine when mentoring is appropriate for others in the health and care system and either act in a mentoring capacity or identify the appropriate individual(s) to act as mentors.

S27: Develop, maintain and enhance activity and financial and outcomes models, sense checking and refining the model based on various scenarios and advising on the best option for planning future activity and income or expenditure.

S28: Apply a range of project management techniques to lead and / or manage complex health and care intelligence projects.

S29: Protect and safeguard vulnerable people and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

S30: Apply economic principles and tools to calculate value for money by determining costs, benefits and return on investment of interventions and services.

Behaviors

B1: Treat people with dignity, and respect diversity, beliefs and culture.

B2: Act with integrity with respect to ethical, legal and regulatory frameworks ensuring the protection of personal data, safety and security.

B3: Be customer focused both within own organisation and with external stakeholders.

B4: Be self-directed in learning and reflection to constantly improve and work towards evidence-based best practice.

B5: Be adaptable, reliable and consistent, demonstrating discretion, resilience, self-awareness and team working.

B6: Act as a role model to peers and demonstrate leadership.

B7: Constructively challenge inappropriate behaviour and use of information when necessary.

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