Patients Know Best signs re-platform deal with the Renal Association

Patients Know Best (PKB) has signed a deal which will see it re-platform the Renal Association’s PatientView system.

The five-year agreement will see the Renal Association switching to PKB’s personal health records platform.

It is hoped this switch will improve the existing security and functionality of the current PatientView system, which supports about 74,500 patients who receive care and treatment for renal disease in the UK by sharing a view of their clinical data using a patient portal.

Chief executive of the Renal Association, Ron Cullen, said: “Partnering with a leading provider of digital personal health records is a significant step for the Renal Association and showcases our determination to provide quality platforms for patients to streamline their care.

“It was important that, as an organisation, we evolved to meet the needs of the kidney communities that we serve.”

The contract will see PKB, which became the first personal health record to be fully integrated into the NHS App earlier this year, connect to the data sources of 62 NHS hospitals and their satellite clinics that provide renal care.

The aim is to empower patients with renal disease with the digital tools to help manage their condition.

There is also the potential for the UK Renal Registry, with the consent of patients, to gather data from a wider range of sources including GP data, device data, and patient-entered data.

Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli, chief executive and founder of Patients Know Best, added: “The Renal Registry has always been a pioneer – renal clinics were the first to give patients their data and it is now the largest registry in Europe.

“It’s an honour to extend their work to cover non-renal and non-hospital data via the PKB platform. The Renal Association is pioneering this model so patients can also work in collaboration with patient charities, health and care providers, and disease registries to improve care and advance research.”