The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7366 p302
10 September 2005

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Software will identify patients who need care

Software that identifies which patients with long-term conditions are at increased risk of being admitted to hospital has been developed for the Department of Health, it was announced last week.

The program uses a wide range of patient information, including age, illnesses and recent contacts with the NHS, to assess those who are most in need of care. It will continue to be developed over the autumn, so that data from community sources, in addition to hospital data, can be incorporated.

The program was commissioned by Essex Strategic Health Authority and developed by the King’s Fund in partnership with researchers at care management firm Health Dialog. The software is available free to the NHS and can be downloaded from www.kingsfund.org.uk