We believe that careful analysis, compelling evidence and expert evaluation are all critical to making good health and care decisions.
The Midlands Decision Support Network is building a comprehensive training and development programme to support local DSUs to make the best decisions that they can using a wide range of analysis, evidence and evaluation.
Embracing Uncertainty: A guide to support strategic decision making in health and social care is the first guide to decision making produced by the Midlands Decision Support Network.
Strategic decision makers in health and social care are faced with the challenge of how to allocate scarce resources in order to improve the health and wellbeing of the people they serve. In making these decisions they will have to balance competing priorities, there may not be one right answer, and there are often uncertainties about the future.
In addition to this we are increasingly understanding the complexity of people’s lives, and in order to truly improve the health and wellbeing of the population a joined-up approach is required. It is in this context that we believe Decision Support Units can add value. Through the use of clear thinking and applied analysis to improve decision making and implementation.
This brief guide sets out our proposition on how to improve the quality of decisions made, and in doing so provides some tools and techniques for decision makers to use.
The guide considers:
- Why focus on decision making?
- Framing your decision –how to solve the right problem
- Tools of the trade –how to approach different situations
- How the ‘how the network development centre (hosted by the Strategy Unit) can support you’