What this means for your practice
Display when each important source last updated and what the reader should do if freshness falls outside the agreed tolerance. A successful page load does not prove current data.
An example to discuss with your team
Stop a test refresh; the dashboard should identify the stale source and reporting limitation.
What to ask before you choose
Ask the supplier to stop an update in a test environment. Readers should identify the delayed source and any effect on totals. Agree who receives the fault and updates the practice. A refresh icon does not explain a source that has stopped supplying information.
Tell readers how current each part is
A dashboard may combine information from several systems that update at different times. Show when the important sources last supplied usable information and explain what delay is acceptable for the decision being made. A monthly review and today's staffing decision may need different levels of freshness.
Ask the supplier to stop one update in a test setup. Does the report continue showing an old total as though it is current, remove it without explanation or clearly describe the limitation? Agree who receives the fault, who investigates it and how the practice is told when the information is reliable again. Include recovery in the demonstration so the team understands whether missed information is added later. In everyday use, check whether staff notice the warning before acting on the report. A technical failure recorded in a log is not enough if the person using the dashboard has no reason to question a reassuring number on the screen.
How to check the result
Track stale periods and time to resolve failed refreshes.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.
Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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