Patients in the UK and Ireland can now access a self-created medical record on their mobile phone, and also have a video consultation with a doctor using a 3G smartphone.
The service, launched by 3G Doctor, allows registered individuals to create a web-based health record and video consult with a doctor using a 3G video smartphone.
To use the service patients first need a GPRS phone, which uses secure 3G-connectivity. They then have to log onto the service website www.3gdoctor.com and register for the service. The website takes them through a free registration stage, where they answer a simple questionnaire to create a simple online health record.
For a one-off fee of £35, patients then have the option to use the service to have a face-to-face video consultation with a General Medical Council-licensed doctor, based in Windsor or Dublin. Consultations can be at any time of the day, and patients receive a written report at the end of the consultation.
Speaking at the Symbian Smartphone exhibition in London this week, 3G Doctor’s head of business development, David Doherty, outlined the service to E-Health Insider.
“The great thing about our system is it is a simple to use web-based system. There are no downloads, just go through a step by step survey approach and store your medical details in this manner – we are utilising the latest smartphone technology to enable patients to create, access and share your health record, in a way in which they can understand,” said Doherty.
Developed in the US, the questionnaire uses the latest smartphone technology – including drop down menus and free text boxes – to enable patients to enter data in an easy way.
Once stored, the record can only be accessed by logging in to the website with the individual’s mobile number and password. The only other people with access to this are doctors and management staff – who can view it only in an anonymised format – and will only ever be looking at it in order to help and advise a patient.
Whenever staff look at the record a record will be made of the name of the individual together with the time and date of the access.
3G Doctor uses a two-level security system using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology in transmitting personal information to servers, ensuring the integrity and privacy of the personal information.
Doherty said: “All data remains strictly confidential and cannot be stored or accessed outside of the secure website. A patient has to log into the secure website to bring up their record and upload any further information or images. We recommend that patients use secure methods of logging onto the website and do not use unsecured connections such as wireless connectivity.”
The company has been running for a year, and says “some NHS doctors are collaborating with 3G Doctor to make their patient records accessible to our Doctors”.
The service also allows users to send messages at any time and based on information in personal health records provides messages based on criteria to alert patients of ongoing health alerts they may have otherwise forgotten.
3G Doctor are now looking to expand the product further. “Smartphones are enabling great things and the use of video calling is a major step forward for us in enabling patients to take control of their healthcare. We are working closely with PCTs to make this a better system, enabling patients to take control of their own healthcare, in a way that they understand, and can share with carers at any time of the day,” said Doherty.
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Joe Fernandez