EMIS Web used to share info in Cheshire

Twenty seven GP practices in Central and Eastern Cheshire will be making information available to doctors in A&E, the local urgent care centre, and the out of hours centre via EMIS Web.

Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust has been working with Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on a six month project to improve access to information for doctors that need to treat patients urgently in the area covered by Leighton Hospital.

Using EMIS web, staff will be able to view a summary of the patient’s record including active and significant past problems, medication and non-medication allergies, recent activity and contact and information on recent consultations.

According to the PCT, people attending the hospital or an out of hours care service in an emergency situation will be asked if the senior doctor treating them can look at their medical record.

As long as the patient agrees, and their GP has signed up to a data sharing agreement, the information will be accessed by the clinician electronically.

Dr Neil Paul, a GP at Ashfield’s Primary Care Centre in Sandbach, said: “The consultants in A&E told us they could improve the care they gave if they had access to key pieces of information about a person’s medical record when they saw them. The locals GPs supported the project by signing up to the data sharing agreement.

“We have encouraged them to discuss this with their patient panels and publicise it before signing and we also have a PCT wide publicity campaign called ‘we share because we care.’

Dr Paul added that if a practice hasn’t signed the data sharing agreement then no patient from their practice can share their information even if they provide consent in A&E. In addition, if a practice has signed individual patient can opt out or refuse consent.

However, the access can be overridden if the patient is unconscious but access is role based so only a few consultants are able to access the record and a full audit trail is made.

Sean Riddell, managing director of EMIS told EHI: “Using EMIS Web software, data can be replicated from systems into EMIS Web and GPs can set up sharing agreements defining what data they want to share and with what services.

"By aggregating data up from file service into EMIS web you can change the model to share with other providers.”

Dr Paul added that there is a possibility that the functionality will be rolled out into the neighboring PCT as the PCT operates an ICT shared service which makes implementation much easier.

Link: EMIS