Measuring Value in a Neighbourhood Health System

At These Hands Academy, we believe value is not measured by the number of devices deployed, courses completed or observations recorded. Value is measured by what changes because of them. Does someone receive help earlier? Does a member of staff have the confidence to speak up? Does a neighbourhood team receive better information to make better decisions? Does someone remain safely in the place they call home?

As health and social care moves towards Neighbourhood Health Services, the focus is shifting from responding to illness to preventing it. The transition from Primary Care Networks to neighbourhood teams represents an opportunity to build truly integrated care around people and communities. Success within this model depends on every partner—from care providers and supported living services to general practice, community services, local authorities and the voluntary sector—sharing a common understanding of a person’s health and working together to intervene earlier.

This is where the Connected Care Programme creates value.

Telehealth is often viewed simply as a collection of devices. We see it differently. Telehealth is an enabler of neighbourhood care. It provides trusted clinical information at the point where people live, allowing care providers to identify deterioration earlier and communicate concerns using NEWS2, the common clinical language recognised across health and social care. Just as “Mayday” is universally understood at sea, NEWS2 provides a shared language that enables professionals from different organisations to understand the level of concern, respond consistently and work together around the person.

However, technology alone does not improve outcomes. People do.

That is why These Hands Academy combines telehealth implementation with workforce development, human factors, quality improvement and clinical governance. We equip care teams to recognise the subtle signs of deterioration, understand what those changes mean, communicate confidently using structured clinical language and know how to escalate concerns appropriately. In doing so, we empower staff to have a voice that is heard, trusted and acted upon.

From Data to Dialogue. From Dialogue to Decision. From Decision to Better Outcomes.

This simple philosophy underpins everything we do.

Telehealth generates meaningful data.

NEWS2, SBAR and confident communication turn that data into dialogue between care providers, neighbourhood teams and clinicians.

That dialogue enables timely decisions, ensuring the right person receives the right intervention at the right time.

Those decisions lead to better outcomes for individuals, stronger partnerships across organisations and more sustainable use of health and care resources.

This is the true value of integrated care.

How We Measure Value

Our evaluation framework measures five interconnected areas.

1Human Value

Not everything that matters can be measured by numbers alone.

We therefore capture:

• Resident outcomes

• Family confidence

• Staff stories

• Case studies

• Quality of life

• Independence

• Experience of care

Because remaining safely in the place you call home, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions and feeling listened to are outcomes that matter just as much as financial savings.

1. Workforce Value

We measure how confident and competent staff become through education and support.

This includes:

• Training completion and CPD achievement

• Competency in recognising deterioration

• Confidence using NEWS2 and SBAR

• Escalation quality

• Human factors and communication

• Staff engagement and culture

Success is demonstrated when staff recognise concerns earlier, communicate more effectively and feel empowered to act.

2. Operational Value

Implementation is only successful if it becomes everyday practice.

We therefore measure:

• Device utilisation

• Observation activity

• NEWS2 recording quality

• Escalation patterns

• Adoption across services

• Sustained use over time

• Continuous Quality Improvement (PDSA) activity

Rather than installing technology and walking away, we measure, monitor and maintain its use to ensure lasting impact.

3. Clinical Value

Our focus is on improving clinical decision-making and reducing deterioration.

Measures include:

• Earlier recognition of deterioration

• Timeliness of escalation

• Appropriate clinical intervention

• Reduction in avoidable deterioration

• Improved multidisciplinary communication

• Better prioritisation of neighbourhood resources

Telehealth supports independent decision-making within care settings while strengthening links into primary care, community services and neighbourhood teams.

4. System Value

Neighbourhood Health Services rely on organisations working together.

We evaluate:

• Reduction in avoidable hospital admissions

• Shift from reactive to proactive care

• Increased in-hours intervention

• Reduced reliance on emergency pathways

• Better coordination between providers, GPs, community services and local authorities

• More effective multidisciplinary working

This demonstrates how connected information supports integrated neighbourhood care rather than isolated organisational activity.

5. Human Value

Not everything that matters can be measured by numbers alone.

We therefore capture:

• Resident outcomes

• Family confidence

• Staff stories

• Case studies

• Quality of life

• Independence

• Experience of care

Because remaining safely in the place you call home, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions and feeling listened to are outcomes that matter just as much as financial savings.

Demonstrating Return on Investment

Financial value is important, but it is only one part of the story.

We demonstrate return on investment through reductions in avoidable healthcare utilisation, more effective use of neighbourhood resources, increased workforce capability, sustained technology adoption and improved quality of care.

By combining implementation data, workforce metrics, clinical outcomes, quality improvement measures and lived experience, we build a comprehensive picture of value that supports providers, commissioners and neighbourhood leaders to understand both the immediate and long-term impact of the programme.

Ultimately, These Hands Academy does not measure success by asking, “Did we implement telehealth?”

We ask:

• Did staff become more confident?

• Were concerns recognised earlier?

• Were neighbourhood teams able to make better decisions?

• Did organisations work together more effectively?

• Did people receive better care?

• Did more people remain safely in the place they call home?

If the answer to those questions is yes, then technology has become more than a device.

It has become a catalyst for better neighbourhood care.

That is how These Hands Academy demonstrates value.

Because we believe that every observation should have purpose, every concern should have a voice, and every decision should lead to better outcomes.

From Data to Dialogue. From Dialogue to Decision. From Decision to Better Outcomes.