People in Hertfordshire benefit from better care, thanks to a new programme which gives health and care professionals the ability to view their patients’ up-to- date medical records.
Health and care professionals need accurate information in order to make the best decisions with their patients about their treatment. The My Care Record programme will enable patients’ records to be viewed quickly and accurately, over a secure healthcare information network. Before any records are viewed, patients will be asked for their permission by the health or social care professional caring for them.
Dr Nicky Williams, a Hertfordshire GP and deputy clinical Chair of East and North
Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We know that patients want us to make informed decisions about their treatment, based on the most accurate information about their health. By securely accessing up-to- date information about our patients during consultations, medical professionals can make well-informed decisions and avoid the need for unnecessary, expensive and invasive tests and paperwork.”
My Care Record does not create a new record for patients, but instead allows a patient’s existing records to be viewed through a secure healthcare information network, as long as they have given their permission for this to take place. An example could include allowing a hospital doctor to see a person’s previous medical treatment or conditions in order to treat them appropriately.
Third parties, private companies and health and care staff who are not directly involved in a patient’s care will not be able to access their records. Existing arrangements for sharing information – by phone, fax, email or post – will be maintained to ensure that patients have a choice about how their information is viewed and to provide for those who choose to ‘opt out’ of the programme.
A dedicated website has been created for people who want to find out more about My Care Record and how it will work.
Go to www.mycarerecord.org.uk to read more and view detailed questions and answers about the programme, which will begin to be implemented at the end of January.
What is My Care Record?
In west Essex, providers of health and social care services are working more closely together to better co-ordinate the delivery of care to people supported by local commissioners.
My Care Record is a programme which allows people to give health and care professionals their permission to access their medical records during their treatment.
The people caring for you need to access about your health and care record in order to make the best decisions about your diagnosis and treatment. This could include GPs, hospital-based clinicians, nurses, health visitors and social workers.
To enable this to happen more quickly and to improve the care you receive, a new process has been put in place. This will allow your information to be accessed by different health and care organisations, using existing computer systems.
This does not share your record with third party organisations, but provides health and care professionals, with your permission, access to view your information.
Information will only be accessed with your permission and while you are receiving direct treatment by a health and care professional.
Initially, My Care Record will be hosted by the Princess Alexandra Hospital in their highly secure data centre.
For more information please see www.mycarerecord.org.uk/faqs .
For fair processing notification and opt our form please see http://www.mycarerecord.org.uk/resources