Dr Data Insight - PowerBI Course

Welcome

M1: Intro to PowerBI

Welcome to PowerBI Course

In today’s data-driven healthcare landscape, the ability to transform raw data into actionable insights is more essential than ever. This course is designed to equip you with the skills to use Microsoft Power BI, one of the most powerful and widely used business intelligence tools across the NHS and beyond. With over 90% of NHS Trusts leveraging Power BI for dashboards, reporting, and strategic planning, you'll learn how to connect to real datasets, model and clean data, and build compelling visualisations that support better decision-making. Whether you're new to data analytics or expanding your skill set, this course will help you turn complex data into clarity and confidence.

Power BI for NHS Healthcare Intelligence

Audience: NHS analysts, BI developers, transformation leads, clinicians working in informatics
Format: 5 modules + quizzes + optional project & certification
Goal: Build the skills to create impactful, safe, and actionable dashboards and reports using NHS datasets.

Module 1: Introduction to Power BI in the NHS

Objective: Understand Power BI's role in NHS digital transformation and healthcare intelligence.

What is Power BI? Desktop vs. Service vs. Mobile
How NHS trusts and ICSs use Power BI (case examples)
Power BI’s place in the NHS toolchain (compared to QlikView, Tableau, Excel)
Overview of a healthcare dashboard lifecycle
Common NHS report consumers: execs, ops, clinical leads, BI teams

NHS Examples:

Daily COVID sitrep dashboards
Elective care backlog reporting
Friends & Family Test dashboards

Outcomes:

Navigate Power BI interface
Understand licensing and NHS Information Governance implications
Know where Power BI fits in modern NHS data flows

Module 2: Connecting to and Transforming NHS Data

Objective: Learn how to access, clean, and model NHS data sources using Power BI’s Query Editor (Power Query).

Topics Covered:

Importing from CSV, SQL Server, NHS Digital APIs, Excel
Using NHS SUS/HES extracts in Power BI
Handling common data quality issues (nulls, outliers, type mismatches)
Column transformation, merging tables, and normalising codes (e.g. GP Practice, Trust codes)
NHS-safe date handling and pseudonymisation

NHS Examples:

Cleaning RTT pathway data
Combining A&E, admissions and discharge records
Joining GP Practice data with demographic lookup tables

Outcomes:

Build structured Power Query data pipelines
Ensure data is IG-safe for internal reporting
Prepare data for effective analysis without SQL

Module 3: Data Modelling & DAX for Healthcare KPIs

Objective: Learn how to create effective data models and write DAX formulas for advanced healthcare metrics.

Topics Covered:

Star schema vs. snowflake for NHS datasets
Relationships, cardinality and filter context
Measures vs. calculated columns
Writing DAX for:
- A&E 4-hour breach %
- Bed Occupancy Rate
- DNA rate
- 18-week RTT target compliance
Time intelligence in NHS: fiscal year weeks, rolling 13-week averages

NHS Examples:

Calculating LOS (Length of Stay) across departments
DAX for RTT waiting time bands
Trends in admissions across time

Outcomes:

Build robust NHS healthcare models
Write custom DAX measures with confidence
Handle “week-ending” dates and episode-based measures

📊 Module 4: Building Dashboards & Reports for Clinical & Operational Use

Objective: Design effective dashboards for different NHS audiences — focusing on insight, safety, and action.

Topics Covered:

Choosing the right visual for the story
Layouts for exec dashboards vs. ward-level tools
Using filters, slicers, bookmarks, and drill-throughs
Data literacy principles for non-analyst staff
Accessibility (WCAG 2.1), colour-blind safety, NHS branding

NHS Examples:

Patient Flow dashboard (A&E → Admissions → Discharge)
Outpatient clinic performance dashboard
Safety incidents visualised by site, type, and harm level

Outcomes:

Build Power BI reports that are intuitive, safe, and insightful
Communicate complex data to clinical and exec audiences
Support operational decision-making through self-service tools

Module 5: Publishing, Automation & Governance in NHS Power BI

Objective: Learn to publish, share, automate, and govern Power BI solutions in line with NHS standards.

Topics Covered:

Power BI Service: workspaces, apps, deployment pipelines
NHS IG and data security considerations
Row-Level Security (RLS) by site, user, or role
Scheduled refreshes with NHS N365 tenant and gateway setup
Governance models: Centre of Excellence, usage monitoring, support channels

NHS Examples:

Setting up a dashboard for multi-site Trusts with RLS
Publishing a monthly ICS-wide elective care tracker
Usage tracking and report lifecycle management

Outcomes:

Publish and secure Power BI apps for Trusts/ICS
Automate NHS data refreshes with compliance
Apply governance to scale analytics safely across the NHS

Disclaimer: The videos included have been thoughtfully selected to support and enrich the learning experience. While not essential to the completion of the course, they offer valuable insights that may deepen your understanding of the module content. Dr Data Insights does not claim authorship or involvement in the creation of these tutorials.