As part of my work with the Norfolk and Waveney Digital Roadmap Operations Group I commissioned this video to help explain the benefits of the enhanced summary care record.
Not only is it on YouTube but it is displayed on TV screens in waiting rooms in various GP Practices.
In England there are two main systems suppliers for GP computer systems – emisWeb and SystmOne. The practice I work for currently uses emisWeb, however in our local area we are in the minority; nationally we are in the majority.
There is often talk of how great it would be if we were all on the same system – whilst I agree this would achieve some short term advantages I think what we should be saying is:
We should all be on the same data
What I mean by this is that we should be separating data from applications. Ideally we would have a situation where common data standards and a hosted database should be the back end, ideally hosted by NHS England.
This would then allow the users of this data, e.g. Patients, GPs, Hospitals, Ambulances, Dentists, Out of Hours, Pharmacies, Commissioners, Federations and any of a host of other users of the data would have appropriate access to this data.
I don’t know and it won’t be easy to achieve, not only are there technical issues to resolve there will be Information Governance hurdles to overcome, the concerns of patients and users.
But conversations are starting to happen – it’s not just me who is suggesting the split of data from application.
In primary care both SystmOne and emisWeb are approaching the latter end of their life cycle and I sense a disruptive change is coming. Hopefully we can use this as a chance to re-define health informatics for the 21st Century.
Welcome to my blogging site.
I’m intending to use this website, url and digital presence as a means of communicating my professional experiences and discussions and leaving the clutter of social blogging and hobby sites to the rest of the internet.
I have been involved with Primary Care Information Technology since the mid nineties, the first half of my career working for I.T. system providers, the second half working in a GP Practice.
For a number of years Primary Care I.T. has been trundling along with a number of evolutionary changes along the way as new systems come and go. We are at a point now where we are seeing a disruptive change – hopefully for the better.
I hope to use this blog as a place to collect musings, resources and discussions as we step into the brave new world.
Wayne Bolt 