Leveraging Data Analytics to Transform Patient Care in Private GP Practices

Data analytics has the potential to transform and reinvigorate the inner workings of your private GP practice. Today the sheer volume of information has changed the way doctors and other healthcare providers manage, analyse and leverage data meaning reduced costs of treatment, accurate predictions regarding outbreaks or epidemics, avoiding preventable diseases and generally improving quality of life for all.

Sources of Data Analytics

The amount of sources that healthcare professionals can use seems to continue to grow. In the past gathering data used to be costly, however, with technological advances, it becomes easier to collect data as well as create comprehensive reports which can be converted into critical insights. All in all, this leads to better healthcare provision. Currently, doctors have access to:

• Patient Portals
• Wearable Devices
• Electronic Health Records
• Search Engines
• Government Agencies
• Payer Records
• Staffing Schedules
• Patient Surveys
• Lab Results
• Medical Images
• Financial Reports

This exponential rise in data aids in accurately diagnosing and establishing the root cause of why a health concern has arisen in the first place. It also informs GPs on how best to treat the health problem with the use of pre-detected patterns from data analysis.

Furthermore, data analytics or a component known as predictive analytics identifies high-risk patients and anticipates future patient complications in order to conduct early interventions. Predictive analytics also permits the tailoring of therapies based on genetic and demographic data and predicts medical readmissions, medication availability and spread of disease. Another important aspect of predictive analytics is finding suitable patient cohorts for clinical trials thereby increasing accuracy and reducing costly treatment failures.

Operational Improvements

Data analytics in smaller GP settings assists with appointment scheduling, patient flow management and electronic health record optimisation. The use of surveys, polls and questionnaires further assists in streamlining all GP operations.

Some commentators have described patient portals as a ‘magic bullet’ as there have been numerous studies evidencing that putting healthcare information into a patient’s hands empowers them and permits the management of their own care. This in turn improves clinical outcomes and also increases the accuracy of your clinical database. Many private GP practices also deliver personalised health recommendations which improve patients’ lifestyle and behavioural patterns as well as customer satisfaction.

Current GP Landscape

GP practices across the United Kingdom are currently experiencing a massive strain with declining numbers of GPs, increased demands in specific regions of the country as well as struggles to recruit and retain staff. The private sector in turn has seen significant growth with one example being at the end of 2022 a massive 40% increase in private virtual GP appointments. This accelerated demand for virtual GP services has unfortunately led to an increase in waiting times for appointments, as well as problems serving the sheer volume of consultations in demand.

Additionally, Spire Healthcare which operates numerous private GP clinics, reported a 41% increase in the number of GP appointments provided in 2023 with patients being attracted by efficient access to GPs near to where they live.

One example of data usage involves identifying patient demand drivers for overstretched GPs. Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System uses an advanced data analytics platform which noted trends including a 17% annual increase in demand for primary care services across all patient groups. There was also a significant number of 18-35-year-olds classed as ‘generally well’ who skipped primary care and went directly to Accident & Emergency. In this way we can see that data analytics has the potential to assist in anticipating demand as well as correcting inaccurate and inappropriate healthcare routes taken by patients. The healthcare analytic system currently covers 800,000 patients across the south of England.
Conclusion

There are today a few hindrances in fully leveraging data analytics for GP practices. These include but are not limited to data privacy concerns as well as the obvious need for staff training. There is also currently a shortage of data analysts meaning re-educating your current staff is a viable option.
Looking to the road ahead it seems that collaboration among healthcare providers, researchers, biotechnology companies, and policymakers will be crucial in navigating upcoming challenges and maximising innovation. These collaborations all work to enhance and increase meaningful insights and also trickle down to the primary care and local settings such as GP practices with a multitude of forms of data analytics at its core.