Using data analytics to drive military veterans’ health and social care services in the UK

Delivering early, data-driven needs identification and interventions by NHS and non-government organisations

The military community makes up almost eight per cent of the UK population and many, including their families, will require support at some point across their lifespan from a range of health and social care services.

Some veterans’ needs are highly complex and continually change. There is a need to continuously monitor such changes and adapt to the emerging needs of this veteran population, as well as any changes that might occur in the social and healthcare systems across the UK.

The MONARCH study is a partnership between Northumbria University and Services charity partners, which uses the SAS^® Viya^® analytics platform. It captures data from a variety of sources to build a single, anonymised dataset to better understand the unique needs of military personnel, veterans and their families. Northumbria University’s team of academics and data scientists analyse the comprehensive and trusted dataset to inform health and social care service provision at a national level.

The aggregated MONARCH (Map Of Need Aggregation and ResearCH) dataset built using SAS software will offer:

• Reduced instances of health and social crisis
• Informed early identification and intervention strategies nationally
• Consolidated, quality data in a standardised format irrespective of its source
• Comprehensive understanding of current and future services and user numbers
• Evidence-based service planning, resource allocation and service development
• A move from a reactive approach to proactive support in a timely manner.

Professor Matt Kiernan, study lead at Northumbria University, stated: “Proactive data management, early identification of needs, and preventative approaches are not only better for the individual but are also more cost-effective at the public health level and more beneficial for society at a holistic level.”

“SAS’ support for this innovative study demonstrates the importance of supporting our military personnel and veterans, especially during Armed Forces Week. Exploiting SAS Viya’s data preparation and analytics capabilities, provides a sound foundation for MONARCH’s important research,” said Roderick Crawford, Senior Vice President, SAS Northern Europe.

With more than 60,000 participants, the MONARCH study contributes to knowledge and understanding of our military community and their use of charitable and statutory services.

The long-term aim is to have enough information to move from being entirely reactive to beneficiaries – often in times of crisis – to becoming more proactive in trying to intervene earlier with those individuals that may be at risk. This will be a positive development for individuals and charities.
 

About Northumbria University

Northumbria is a research-intensive, modern university with a global reputation for academic excellence. It was named UK University of the Year 2022 in the Times Higher Education Awards.

Northumbria University is based in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, which is regularly voted the best place in the UK for students, and has campuses in London and Amsterdam.