accuRx is rolling out the first nationally-available patient record sharing system that places patient permission at its heart and supports the sharing of medical records to improve patient care, Digital Health News can exclusively reveal.

Record View is the only record viewing system that has patient permission built into its core, enabling patients to be in control of their information and choose who it is shared with.

It allows any NHS healthcare professional to request access to, and view a read-only summary of a patient’s GP medical records. Patient permission is provided via a multi-factor authentication which lasts for 24-hours, before permission must be sought again.

Following a successful pilot with four ICSs the system is now being rolled out across the country,

Jacob Haddad, CEO and co-founder of accuRx said: “Record View saves huge amounts of clinical time by removing the laborious process of staff across different healthcare providers having to wait on hold to a GP practice, or wait for an email response, to get vital patient information.

“We built Record View in response to significant demand from health and care professionals for an efficient way to view the information in GP medical records when providing direct care to a patient.

“A benefit of Record View that differs from other solutions is that it doesn’t matter if the patient is in a different location to their GP – clinicians across the country are able to care for patients from a different area because the patient can decide to share their record.”

Patient permission

It’s straightforward for patients to grant permission for healthcare teams to access their records. Once a healthcare professional has requested permission through the accuRx Record View platform, patients receive a 6-digit code via SMS. They can then choose to share it with those involved in their care.

There are no geographical restrictions. As long as the patient is with the healthcare professional – whether in-person, over the phone or on a video consultation – the patient can allow access to the records.

Haddad explained: “Safe record sharing is fundamental to delivering effective and high-quality care. If the contents of a patient’s record can’t be communicated efficiently, and with patient permission, healthcare professionals can’t provide the most effective care since they have no awareness of a patient’s previous medical history.

“Record View is part of accuRx’s broader vision to connect everyone involved in a patient’s care, and is an important part of delivering integrated care.”

This focus on patient permission is at the core of what accuRx wanted to develop with Record View. The system was developed in accordance with the Caldicott principles and patients can be confident that they are in control of what is shared. At the same time it ensures anyone involved with a patient’s care can access crucial information to deliver joined-up health care.

Up-to-date information

Ian Unitt, a staff nurse at a low-secure forensic hospital for people with learning disabilities, said: “We have long waiting lists, so by the time we see a patient, it’s often the case that the information provided by the GP in the referral is out of date. Record View allows us to have the most recent information at our fingertips.

“Additionally, some topics such as weight, urinary tract infections, etc can be difficult to bring up with a patient but are important to understand from a mental health point of view.

“With Record View, I no longer need to ask my patients these questions. Previously, when I needed information such as an updated ECG test result, I’d have to contact the GP and often waste time waiting. Having it immediately accessible through Record View saves us and our patients time.”

Already 60 per cent of GPs have opted-in to have patient records viewed by healthcare professionals outside of primary care. Since this month’s nationwide launch 193 patient records have been viewed by 50 secondary care professionals.

accuRx Record View is available for use by all NHS healthcare professionals at no cost.

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