Understanding the Digital Capability Framework: Research and Innovation
This article is the final part of a six-part series on the Digital Capability Framework (DCF). Developed by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), the DCF includes six key areas, known as domains, and a self-evaluation tool. It helps healthcare professionals understand the value of digital technology and identify opportunities to develop their digital skills.
Improving digital capability in healthcare is essential. It supports personal development in an increasingly digital world and helps enhance patient care. As technology continues to change, healthcare professionals need the confidence and skills to use it effectively in their day-to-day work.
Research and Innovation
The Research and Innovation domain contains three sub domains:
- Research
- Innovation
- Impact
This domain focuses on harnessing digital health technologies to drive innovation, enhance quality improvement, and support evidence-based practice. It highlights the role of digital technology in research, while emphasising the importance of research in informing the application of digital health technologies in practice.
Digital technology is central to driving innovation in healthcare and is available to all those involved in the sector. The domain also highlights the importance of evaluating how these technologies influence practice, and why this is crucial for ensuring high-quality patient care.
Research
The Research subdomain explores the methods used in personal research, such as searching for information online and evaluating digital content. It is important to consider how digital technologies can support research and open up new opportunities. Understanding the role of research in applying digital health technologies is also vital. Being aware of how technology can be used, along with evidence of its impact, helps ensure successful adoption in healthcare.
As these skills develop, so will critical evaluation abilities. These are essential to ensure information is evidence-based and relevant to the intended audience. The ability to locate suitable resources online constitutes a vital public health skill that can be applied directly to patient care. Gaining this understanding of digital health technologies empowers the user to provide reassurance and support to patients as they transition to a digital-first approach to healthcare.
Innovation
The Innovation subdomain focuses on using digital technology to drive innovation. This includes creating evidence-based educational materials and patient-focused resources, with the aim of demonstrating how digital technology can enhance practice.
Digital health technologies offer new opportunities to transform care delivery. This includes utilising wearable technology, facilitating remote care, and employing artificial intelligence to alleviate administrative burdens. It is important for all healthcare professionals to understand how emerging technologies can support the provision of high-quality care.
Impact
The Impact subdomain focuses on demonstrating the effects of change. Understanding the consequences of these changes and being able to evaluate their impact on care are essential skills.
For healthcare professionals it is important to understand how introducing digital health technologies will impact patient care. It is essential to recognise the impact on people who are digitally excluded, so risks can be managed effectively. While it is not solely our responsibility to fix these issues, understanding how digital technology can widen health inequalities is a crucial step towards patient-centred care. It is also important to appreciate how digital technology has changed society and the way we live. This understanding helps ensure that patient care is truly holistic.
Engaging in digital health technology review and feeding back on processes is essential to ensure that digital health systems are safe and fit for purpose.
Your next step
Getting started with developing your online communication skills can be daunting but a great first step is to complete the Digital Capability Framework (DCF) self-assessment tool.
The tool will help prompt you to consider your current digital skills and signpost to bite-size resources to help kick start your development.
It takes approximately one hour to complete the DCF, which you work through at your own pace, at a time to suit you. Your progress will be saved along the way, so you can pause and go back to it as often as you need.
Many professions recognise this activity by providing an hour of certified continuing professional development (CPD) for completion.
Visit the HEIW website to learn more.