37.5 (core office hours are 9:00am 5:30pm Monday to Friday)

Transcription

1 Job description Job title: Reporting to: Data Analyst Senior Data Analyst Salary: L13, 37,584 Hours per week: 37.5 (core office hours are 9:00am 5:30pm Monday to Friday) The Health Foundation The Health Foundation is an independent charity working to improve the quality of healthcare in the UK. We are here to inspire and create the space for people, teams, organisations and systems to make lasting improvements to health care services and ultimately, health. Since the appointment of a new Chief Executive in October 2013, the Foundation has widened its objectives to include a focus on health policy and population health as well as health care service improvement. We have established new expertise in national system reform, the financing of health care and innovative data analytics. The analytics team conducts in-house research using large, linked, person-level data sets, and collaborates with the NHS to show how these approaches can be used to improve decision-making at local and national levels. The new data analytics team The data analytics team at the Health Foundation is now established with a secure environment for the processing of pseudonymised person-level data, and analysts with skills in causal inference, econometrics, health economics, statistics, and epidemiology. 1

2 Our projects tackle issues related to supporting complex changes in health and social care: 1. Local evaluation, particularly developing approaches to feedback timely, relevant information to decision makers regarding the effect of complex, out-ofhospital interventions. As the effects of these interventions often do not materialise immediately, it is important to track outcomes over a period of time and compare them with those of control groups. 2. Evaluation of national health policies, particularly those that have most potential to affect quality of care and the context in which health care practitioners work. 3. Work to improve the range of information routinely collected, particularly about the perspective of the service user. This includes a pilot of the patient activation measure, which measures a person s willingness and ability to manage their own health care needs. 4. Innovative data linkage to examine the overlaps of health care and other factors that affect health. For example, we are examining the feasibility of linking health care data with administrative data on employment and benefit receipt, subject to appropriate information governance being in place. Our work requires methods from machine learning, causal inference, improvement science and graphic analytics, as well as access to large linked data sets. We will develop methods in these areas as needed, and in doing so will partner with national and international teams of methodologists and health services researchers. Opportunities in the data analytics team The team provides an opportunity for motivated and talented individuals to be creative about the use of big data, while working at the intersection of health care delivery, policy analysis and methodology. The Foundation's endowment provides valuable independence and space to be thoughtful about analytical approaches, outside of the constraints of an academic environment. Moreover, its relationship with the NHS means that we can apply analytics directly to real-world problems that are important for patients and policy makers. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to contribute towards a growing field that will likely shape the future delivery of healthcare. There will also be 2

3 opportunity to work with experts from UK and international universities, and to publish high-quality work in independent reports and peer-reviewed journals. Data Analysts will support a number of projects at the Health Foundation, lead the analysis of particular data sets, and contribute towards research reports and articles. You will need the ability to learn new skills and apply statistical, mathematical and computing techniques. Key tasks and responsibilities 1. Review areas of literature relevant to projects. 2. Conduct high-quality analyses to meet the objectives of particular projects, to the highest methodological standard, under the guidance of the Head of Data Analytics and other team members. 3. Prepare research reports and articles to a high standard, and manage articles through peer review. 4. Communicate research findings to a wide range of audiences, including policy makers, researchers, and healthcare professionals. 5. Represent the Health Foundation at external events, and present research findings. 6. Extract, clean and maintain pseudonymised data sets. 7. Engage with other teams of the Health Foundation and contribute towards wider corporate activities. 8. Domestic and international travel as needed. 3

4 Person specification Knowledge and experience 1. A track record of producing high-quality analysis, for example in clinical or health services research, or with large data sets in other fields. 2. Knowledge of and relevant experience in health policy and the operation of health services. 3. Experience of working with some major datasets in health and ideally social care. 4. Good degree in a quantitative subject, plus ideally a relevant post-graduate degree. 5. Understanding of analytical methods, and an ability to learn quickly and apply new methods. Desirable 6. An understanding of the data governance requirements that exist in the UK, as well as data security. 7. Experience of working with health or social care organisations in the UK or internationally. Skills and abilities 1. Ability to write clearly and concisely for a range of audiences, to time limited deadlines. 2. The ability to communicate to a wide audience in a clear and concise manner. 3. Ability to apply analytics to problems important to policy makers and practitioners in the health care field. 4. Proficient in statistical software, ideally SAS or R. 5. Ability to review relevant literature. 6. Corporate approach with a willingness to contribute to further the objectives of the Foundation. 7. A person who is collegiate with proven ability to work across teams successfully. 8. A person who is flexible, respectful of colleagues, and adaptable. 4

5 9. A person who is open, communicative, and approachable to all staff across the organisation irrespective of role or seniority. 10. An understanding of, and commitment to, equal opportunities and diversity. 5