Terms of Reference

Our Terms of Reference are reproduced in part below.  The full document (pdf) is also available.

Introduction

The purpose of this document is to provide the Terms of Reference for Scottish Clinical Information in Medical Practice (SCIMP).

SCIMP works under the direction of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates (SGHSCD) to help deliver programmes with a Primary Care dimension by providing Health Informatics advice to support existing and new policy.

Role of the SCIMP Working Group

The SCIMP working group comprises of a number of primary care clinicians and professionals with health informatics expertise. The SCIMP Working Group (WG) is the advisory body of SCIMP with membership drawn from individuals involved in the provision of front line primary care services. This is primarily clinicians and practice managers with health informatics expertise as well as representatives from a range of related organisations. Membership includes representatives from the Primary Care system user groups; links with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) via the Health Informatics Group; and links to the Scottish General Practitioners Committee (SGPC).

SCIMP provides guidance and help for practices; advice for projects in primary care and the wider eHealth community; clinical support and health informatics advice to the National Services Scotland (NSS) Primary Care “Engine Room”, which consists of a collection of appropriate bodies across Scotland who work collectively to change, improve or deliver national products within primary care.

SCIMP’s principal functions include:

  • Provision of health informatics clinical domain expertise to eHealth projects in NHS Scotland
  • Support to front line services on the practical application of eHealth solutions
  • Health informatics advice to SGHSCD to support and promote implementation of policy
  • To drive forward the use of eHealth in improving the health care of Scottish citizens
  • To interface with eHealth leaders in the other UK countries to promote best practice and share expertise
  • To align eHealth developments to the standards and ethics guidance of the General Medical Council

Objectives

SCIMP’s principal objectives are:

  • Improved uptake of electronic records in NHS Scotland
  • Better quality data in electronic records
  • Improved safety of information systems, reducing risks of harm to patients and systems users
  • Improving efficiency in health care by best use of applied health informatics
  • Supporting access and use of health information systems by Scottish citizens to better manage their own health and care
  • Promoting interoperability and open standards in eHealth Systems
  • Supporting GPIT Service Management Groups with Health Informatics expertise in relation to:
  • Clinical terminologies
  • Data protection, consent and confidentiality
  • Document management
  • Electronic Medical Records application and use
  • Best practice guidance for electronic records
  • Interoperability and electronic communications
  • Support and promote discussion between the implementers of eHealth solutions and services in NHS Scotland and the end users of these services. This is currently supported by the annual SCIMP Conference, budgeted outside of SCIMP’s main support and operated in conjunction with the Scottish Health Service Centre.

Accountability

  • The SCIMP Clinical Advisory Board is accountable to the Primary Care Portfolio Management Group (PCPMG) under the direction of SGHSCD.
  • The Clinical Lead for SCIMP is accountable to the SCIMP Clinical Advisory Board.
  • SCIMP’s Clinical Lead is under the clinical governance responsibility of the medical director of ITSBU.
  • SCIMP Group Manager is provided by NSS IT, Solution Stewardship and accountable in the first instance to the Clinical Lead for SCIMP.
  • Working Group members:
  • With respect to their role on SCIMP, for example when representing SCIMP to other agencies, Working Group members are accountable to the SCIMP Clinical Lead. The SCIMP clinical lead is responsible for ensuring advice and communications on behalf of SCIMP are in line with its Terms of Reference.
  • Those members contributing to SCIMP WG on behalf of an associated organisation are accountable through their organisation’s governance or management structure.
  • Individual Working Group members are primarily accountable to their own professional bodies and registrations.

Communications

SCIMP communications:

  • There will be a clear process of engagement including communication link for eHealth Portfolio Management Groups, Projects or other customers to utilise the expertise of SCIMP
  • SCIMP will employ electronic media to keep stakeholders informed about SCIMP’s areas of work, as well as to act as a repository for any documentation or other digital media provided by SCIMP.
  • SCIMP Advisory Board – Provision of quarterly activity plans to NSS IT Solution Stewardship to allow effective management of appropriate resources and reporting.
  • eHealth Leads & PCPMG reporting – Provision of monthly updates and progress on work to NSS IT Solution Stewardship for onward reporting.
  • Annual SCIMP Conference

Links with other Groups

It is anticipated that links will be required for the SCIMP Working group to a variety of stakeholders and customers both at Scottish and UK level.

Meetings

The Working group will meet four times a year. Meetings minutes will be recorded and held in accordance with NSS IT Solutions Stewardship templates and process. Minutes will be made publically available via the SCIMP web site once approved.