Public Services

Hospitals: need to improve your reputation? Consider investing in IT

From a paper by Torsten Oliver Salge, David Antons, Michael Barrett, Rajiv Kohli, Eivor Oborn, Stavros Polykarpou The reputation of hospitals ought to be built on the quality of care they provide. However, in the healthcare industry, it is difficult to judge the quality of care from a hospital; patients are often unable to assess this for themselves and have […]

Waiting over five hours at A&E increases risk of death

This press release relates to this paper in the British Medical Journal by Simon Swift et al. Patients made to wait longer than five hours at A&E face an increased risk of death within 30 days, a new study shows. Researchers analysed data from Hospital Episode Statistics and the Office of National Statistics detailing the […]

Ready for 2022 – after another great year!

2021 was another great year for us at INDEX. From published papers to partaking in panel discussions, there is a lot to choose from for our highlights of the last twelve months.  Funding We’ve had multiple projects funded, but one that stands out is our DIGIT Lab. This £12 million project has allowed us to […]

From research to policy: Advocating for a better future

Originally posted on the University of Exeter’s Research and Innovation blog. Professor Mark Thompson looks at how he started working with policymakers, his work at INDEX, and the importance of being a passionate advocate for your research.  Mark Thompson is the director of INDEX and a professor of Digital Economy. But these are only two […]

Six strategic plays for UK government IT initiatives and their implications for policy

Written by Mark Thompson and Will Venters, London School of Economics and Political Science. Originally posted on Computer Weekly magazine. The UK government needs to decide what being digital means – and there are a number of options to consider. Policymakers have to choose, if the benefits of transformation are to be achieved What is […]

Helping to build Digital Jersey

DIGIT Lab played an important role in helping evolve Digital Jersey’s strategy. Alan Brown (DIGIT Lab Director) facilitated two-day workshop event saw attendees from private and public sector companies, as well as education and government, recognising that everyone has to work together in order to make the most of digital opportunities.  This workshop featured in Jersey […]

TechUK Smarter State

22 September 2021 Mark Thompson keynoted. For the last six years, this conference has successfully attracted digital leaders from across the breadth of public and the private sectors to showcase how technology is shaping today’s and tomorrow’s public services – helping to build a smarter state. Watch on-demand

Data for Policy 2021 conference

14–16 September 2021 Data science innovation in governance and the public sector. Zena Wood and Phil Godsiff presented papers for ​Digitally Enhanced Advanced Services Network+  

How accurate are online symptom checkers?

From paper by Adam Ceney, Stephanie Tolond, Andrzej Glowinski, Ben Marks, Simon Swift, and Tom Palser. In 2013, the World Health Organisation reported that the world was short of 7.2 million healthcare professionals of all disciplines. This is predicted to grow to 12.9 million by 2035. Primary care is particularly affected, with severe shortages being […]