Electronic care records to go ahead with mixed consent model
From spring 2007, the electronic summary care record will be implemented in early adopter sites in England but patients will be able to amend records and choose to opt out if they wish, health minister Lord Warner said this week.
The announcement follows the recommendations of the NHS
Summary Care Record Taskforce, which was established earlier this year (PJ, 5 August,
p152). Harry Cayton, chairman of the taskforce, said: “Members
of the taskforce agreed that the creation of the summary care record
is a tremendous opportunity for patient safety, quality and efficiency
of care for all patients but that it must be implemented with public
support and clinical confidence.”
The taskforce envisages that the process for creating summary care records
will allow patients a period of time to review their records, either
via the internet-based HealthSpace or by asking to see a printed copy
provided by their GP. Patients will be asked to correct or amend them
and to consent for them to be shared or to opt out of sharing. After
this time, it will be assumed that any patient who has not viewed his
or her record has given implied consent.
Exactly how people will be able to opt out of their records being shared
or uploaded onto the national database will be decided by an advisory
group, which will oversee the development of the summary care record
and advise on its use. The group will be chaired by Martin Marshall,
deputy chief medical officer, and will include representatives from the
Royal College of General Practitioners, the British Medical Association,
the Royal College of Nursing and patient organisations.
In its report, the taskforce says that over time the content of the record
will increase, subject to consent, to include a more complete data set
from GPs and also information from detailed records held by providers
of care, for example hospital and community services. It is expected
that independent sector organisations delivering care or services on
behalf of the NHS will also supply information to the summary care record. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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