BT signs interoperability agreements

Four major healthcare IT companies have signed agreements with each other to offer a new interoperability solution to the NHS.

BT, Harris Corporation, InterSystems, and Healthcare Gateway have signed agreements that will enable BT to offer a managed interoperability solution, based on a cloud based platform.

This will include three elements: a clinical and a patient portal, developed by Harris; and an integration platform, developed by InterSystems.

The additional integration with Healthcare Gateway’s Medical Interoperability Gateway will enable information to be shared with the majority of GPs in the UK, since all of the major GP suppliers have signed up to work with it.

Ian Dalton, president of BT Global Health, told EHI Live 2013 that interoperability would be an important theme in the future development of healthcare IT.

“Providing co-ordinated care to patients across organisations relies on health and social care professionals having the right information at the right time,” he added in a statement.

“Because we are connecting IT systems, not replacing them, care can be delivered [this way] at lower cost and improved efficiency.”

The clinical and social care portal developed by Harris is designed to enable clinical and care workers to both review and edit information in a single place, and save it to a local electronic patient record.

The patient portal, meanwhile, is intended to enable patients to review test results and book and review appointments online, whether with a GP, specialist, or social care service.

The new solution is underpinned by InterSystems’ rapid integration and development platform with embedded analytics.

Dalton added: “We have chosen to work with three, experienced best of breed suppliers that share our desire to help health and social care organisations to overcome the challenges they face in creating a new world of care.”