Population Health & PHM – Explained

The ‘Integration and Innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all’ White Paper sets out the biggest NHS reforms in a decade.

At the heart of these changes is a shift in focus to delivering outcomes and needs-based services for local populations, taking a Population Health approach. Should the proposals be successfully introduced, the NHS, care organisations and individuals will all benefit from integrated care as the default, reduced legal bureaucracy, and better support for social care, public health and the health services.  

 Key learning objectives: 

• Understand the drivers for a new approach to citizen health  
• Review top-line strategies for integration and working together 
• Explore the role of Population Health as an approach within the context of the White Paper 

Population Health and Population Health Management (PHM) are often used interchangeably, with different definitions, which can be very confusing.

With no universally accepted set of definitions and different terminology being used across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland we’ll help you identify the underlying principles that matter. We’ll look at the social determinants of health and their importance in our thinking about the design of public services going forwards. As with any new approach to health improvement, it could be argued that this is just a new name for a decades-old way of working.

We’ll stress test this argument and consider if and how this is a new approach to health.

Key learning objectives:

• Understand the common features of definitions relating to Population Health and Population Health Management
• Explore the principles of the social determinants of health
• Review how this is a new approach to health improvement

A common factor in all PHM definitions is the word data.

But more than that, it’s about how to firstly connect data from multiple care and service settings to better understand the main health needs of the community and then secondly, it’s about how you turn that data into insights and intelligence to drive better decision-making. Putting that intelligence into the hands of the clinicians and service managers who can drive change is the power behind PHM.

Data isn’t a new concept for those commissioning and planning services, but by advancing approaches to data capture, collation, review and interpretation offers a new way of thinking about health.

Key learning objectives:

• Understand how to get analytics closer to decision-making
• Explore the systems changes required to connect health data
• Review examples of where insights and intelligence have presented opportunities for transformative change

Delivering Population Health requires a collaborative working with leaders, managers and practitioners coming together across health, care and wider public services.

In doing so we will put health and wellbeing at the heart of all decision-making – with a goal to create the right environments which enable people in every community to live healthy lives in healthy places. And there is a role for everyone to play. As we broaden thinking about health in every aspect of citizen life, we need to bring in new data, new perspectives and new thinking to drive the inspiration and innovation for transformative change.

Key learning objectives:

• Examine the different roles and contributions that can be made across public services to delivering future health improvement
• Explore ways to engage the hearts and minds of key stakeholders across local communities
• Review ways to enable collaborative working across organisations and facilitating a joined-up approach

Whilst the theory all sounds great, how to turn that into practical reality and getting started with a new project or initiative can feel daunting.

In this session we’ll be exploring the first steps to getting PHM off the ground in your locality including ideas for building knowledge and capability for PHM across all teams; how to identify and prioritise PHM initiatives within your locality; best practice guidance when engaging with partners across the social determinants of health; how to put citizens at the heart of your PHM interventions; as well as setting realistic goals and measuring impact.

This session will explore the key factors in the design and build of a healthy community and what needs to change to achieve these goals.

Key learning objectives:

• Understand the essential principles when putting PHM into practice
• Explore lessons learned and mistakes to avoid
• Review a roadmap to get your first PHM initiative off the ground