The 2021 Healthcare Excellence Through Technology (HETT) show was a huge success and had a full attendance across both days of what was many people’s first in person event since the pandemic. The agenda was wide-ranging, and attendees heard from clinicians, digital health professionals, and health tech suppliers and data architects on how we progress the digital transformation in care for better patient outcomes and operational efficiencies.

The PRSB was proud to feature on a panel with INTEROPen to discuss whether pragmatism or perfection is the best route to interoperability success, with our Chair, Professor Maureen Baker chairing the discussion. The speakers spanned the health and social care spectrum and included PRSB Clinical Executive, Dr Nilesh Bharakhada, Registered Nursing Home Association’s Digital Engagement Manager, Katie Thorn, Director of CASPA, Taffy Gatawa, INTEROpen’s Co-Chair and NHS London’s Regional Director of Digital Transformation, Luke Readman, and TechUK’s Interoperability Specialist Manesh Patel.

The panel agreed the need for pragmatism and identified that smaller results in implementing standards were more worthwhile in the journey for full interoperability than striving for complete perfection before achieving any tangible results for professionals and patients. Katie highlighted that while social care is behind on adopting standards, meaningful impact is already being made from smaller initiatives, such as South West London’s Red Bag scheme.

Responding to an audience question on what one practical thing the panel would prioritise to deliver practical results, Taffy emphasised the importance of an agreed framework before standard implementation and Nilesh chose PRSB’s digital care and support planning standard as it helps to share data across transfers of care. He explained the standard has a practical impact in a high-risk area and ‘is the delivery vehicle for integrated care’.