ARTICLE HEADLINE
Your Data
eDSM (Enhanced Data Sharing Model)
Today, electronic records are kept in all the places where you receive healthcare. These NHS Care Services can usually only share information from your records by letter, email, fax or phone.
At times, this can slow down your treatment and mean information is hard to access.
Here at Larwood Health Partnership, we use a computer system called SystmOne that allows the sharing of full electronic records across different NHS Care Services.
We are telling you about this as you have a choice to make about how we share information about your care from your electronic patient record.
You can choose to share or not to share your electronic GP record with other NHS Care Services.
So, what are the benefits of you sharing your health care record?
Faster access to your medical information
Patient care can be supported by healthcare staff much more easily.
You may not be required to repeat information to different NHS staff treating you. For example, healthcare staff who are involved in your care will be able to access your medical history immediately, enabling them to plan your care more efficiently.
We are now moving to an ‘OPT OUT’ model, which means your records will automatically be shared with other healthcare professionals unless you ‘OPT OUT’.
This means that your information will be available to healthcare professionals outside the practice that are providing care to you for example Out of hours, district nurses, community matrons.
If you are not in a position to give consent, they will make a clinical decision as to whether it is in your best interests for them to access this information.
If any other healthcare professionals feel it appropriate to look at your GP records, they should always ask for your consent.
The information they need may be your allergies / sensitivities or your current repeat medications.
For more information about information sharing please pick up a leaflet and consent form from reception.
Your Electronic Patient Record and the Sharing of Information – A Patient’s Guide
Care Data
How information about you helps us to provide better care.
Confidential information from your medical records can be used by the NHS to improve the services offered so we can provide the best possible care for everyone.
This information along with your postcode and NHS number (but not your name) is sent to a secure system where it can be linked to other health information. This allows those planning NHS services or carrying out medical research to use information from different parts of the NHS in a way that does not identify you.
If you are happy for your information to be used in this way you do not have to do anything. If you have any concerns or wish to prevent this from happening, please speak to practice staff or ask at reception for a copy of the leaflet ‘How information about you helps us to provide better care’.
More information can be found here www.nhs.uk/caredata.