Power to the people?
Will the information revolution drive choice and quality in the NHS? Fiona Barr weighs up the evidence.
Feature
More doubt cast on impact of info
Presenting high quality data to patients is unlikely to directly drive improvements in the quality of care, according to a paper in the BMJ.
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King’s Fund urges caution on choice
The government should be cautious about patients’ ability to make use of information to choose hospitals, the King’s Fund has warned.
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King’s Fund calls for brake on reforms
The case for reorganising the NHS in England has not been made and health ministers should reconsider the speed and scale of their proposed reforms, the King’s Fund has said. In its response to the Department of Health consultation on the white paper ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’, the health charity has questioned the […]
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Predictive risk tool for West Midlands
New technology developed by Bupa Health Dialog will be used to help GPs in the West Midlands to predict the future healthcare needs of their population.
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Referral management centres criticised
Providing GPs with more information about referrals would be a more effective strategy for cutting costs and improving quality than setting up referral management centres, according to the King’s Fund. An investigation by the think-tank found that referral management centres were failing to deliver savings and that some schemes could undermine quality by delaying access […]
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Fund looks to tech to assess access
A think tank has suggested that two technology-based initiatives could be included in a raft of measures to assess the quality of access to general practice. The King’s Fund has argued that opportunity to book appointments online and to communicate with GPs and practice staff by email could be used as access indicators. In a paper […]
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King’s Fund hears more C&B grumbles
Patients value having a choice of hospital but GPs and providers have complaints about the way Choose and Book works to deliver it, according to a report from the King’s Fund.
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King’s Fund warns on quality measures
Greater use of quality indicators in the NHS could be a powerful tool to improve care, but could also lead to misinterpretation and confusion, the King’s Fund has warned. The health policy think-tank is calling on the NHS to make sure it is clear about the aims of different measures and the audiences at which they […]
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£130m for telecare and home help
The government has pledged to invest £130m in initiatives such as telecare and home adaptations as part of its free personal care measures outlined in the Queen’s Speech.
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