Data-driven decision-making: the impact of research in practice on the communities graduates serve

The NHS Digital Academy Programme in Digital Health Leadership is a centrally funded postgraduate diploma at Imperial College London, delivered by the Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI). Upon successful completion of the PG Dip, participants have the option to enrol in a one-year Dissertation of Practice (DoP), leading to a full MSc qualification in Digital Health Leadership. Since the programme’s inception in 2018, around 160 NHS digital leaders have embarked on a wide range of research projects in digital health, with the most successful research studies leading to direct impact and improvement to the NHS organisations the participants work in. The DoP is a Master’s level research based dissertation with a more practical focus, applying relevant research methods to tackle a problem of practice.
 
In the current academic year, participants are researching:
 
Organisational readiness for AI in hospital pharmacy services
Digital transformation to improve learning and mental health outcomes for children with ADHD
Virtual physiotherapy consultations in outpatients therapies
Sustainable adoption of innovation in heart failure management
It is increasingly important for organisations to adopt data-driven decision-making, with business cases for new technology and innovation relying on a strong evidence base. The Imperial DoP offers a well-supported research track, guiding participants through research methodologies and study design, literature review, analysis and the write-up of recommendations and SMART objectives for change.
 
In this session, you’ll hear from a panel of recent Master’s graduates, providing insights into their research projects, successes and pitfalls and the impact of their research on practice on the communities they serve.