Staffing intelligence services: a survivor's guide

Area of Science:

• Health Services Management
• Information Science
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• District Health Authorities (DHAs) require integrated information services for effective purchasing and health needs assessment.
• Traditional divisions between librarians and information officers create a skills gap in handling diverse data types.
• The DHA Project highlights the need for co-ordinated information provision and addresses its developmental steps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the information needs of DHAs and the implications for developing co-ordinated intelligence services.
• To analyze the evolving landscape of information education and its impact on staffing intelligence functions.
• To propose recommendations for staff competencies and quality assurance in NHS intelligence services.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of information needs within the Department of Health's DHA Project.
• Review of existing information education curricula and skills.
• Pilot studies demonstrating steps for developing co-ordinated information provision.

Main Results:

• DHAs necessitate intelligence services capable of managing both numeric and text data.
• Current information education is shifting away from the traditional librarian/information officer divide.
• Librarians require retraining to acquire skills for integrated information management, facing competition from new graduates.

Conclusions:

• Co-ordinated intelligence services are vital for DHAs, requiring a blend of skills previously separated between librarians and information officers.
• Information education reform is necessary to equip professionals for these cross-disciplinary roles.
• The Department of Health should define staff competencies for NHS intelligence services to ensure quality assurance and facilitate career development through relevant training.