The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7505 p681
7 June 2008

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Public unaware of electronic records despite extensive information programme, study finds

Most people are unclear about current policy on shared electronic records despite an extensive information programme in early adopter sites, according to the authors of a study published online last week (BMJ Online First, 29 May 2008).

The University College London research team, which conducted an independent evaluation of the summary care record (PJ, 10 May 2008, p556), sought to explore the views of patients and the public towards the summary care record and the NHS web service HealthSpace in three early adopter primary care trusts in England. Participants were recruited from general practices, out-of-hours centres, accident and emergency departments and walk-in centres.

They found that most of the participants were not aware of the SCR or HealthSpace and did not recall receiving information about it. Of the 103 individuals interviewed, 29 per cent were aware of the SCR (some via the media or their GP) and 8 per cent were aware of HealthSpace.

Although official statistics suggest that by the date of the interview around 95 per cent of the sample population had been sent a letter informing them that the SCR was being introduced in their area, only one in seven recalled receiving the letter, they say. They add that many of the participants in the study “wrongly” believed that electronic records were already shared between health professionals either locally or nationally.

The researchers comment: “Most people were positive about the SCR and happy that if they did nothing, one would be created for them.” However, most people were not interested in recording their medical data or accessing their SCR via HealthSpace.

The decision of whether or not to have an SCR involved balancing perceived benefits with perceived risks and was heavily influenced by previous personal experience.

The team conclude: “The ‘implied consent’ model for creating and accessing a person’s SCR should be revisited, perhaps in favour of ‘consent to view’ at the point of access.”