Evergreen Life app launches nationwide
Evergreen Life PHR is the latest NHS-approved mobile app that allows patients to access all their medical information.
The app, developed by national healthcare company Evergreen Life which acquired PAERS Ltd, pioneers in online patient record access, was accredited by the NHS in March and is now available for patients in all EMIS practices across England to download.
Apps labelled ‘being tested in the NHS’ or ‘NHS Approved’ are part of an NHS programme. The Evergreen app is on the NHSD Framework, part of GPSoC Lot 1.
The app links a personal health record (PHR) with patient-facing services (PFS).
The PHR enables you to add your health and fitness information such as blood pressure, cholesterol or body measurements. You can add your ‘over the counter’ medicines and it offers you reminders to take your medicines.
The PFS element enables you to access your GP record including test results, book GP appointments and order repeat prescriptions.
Brian Fisher, semi-retired GP and clinical and strategy director for Evergreen, said the aim is to help give patients more control, within the law, to own their own records.
“It helps people stay in control of their health and health care. All of that is in the palm of their hand”, Fisher said.
“They can find ways to keep fit, get medicine reminders, there is also a share and care service which means they can share records with carers, GPs and consultants.”
Fisher said the app is currently available through 50% of practices in England through EMIS. However, it will be available nationwide within the next few weeks when it will integrate with all other major systems making it available to 99% of people in England.
“After much hard work and sweat, our web service was accepted onto the NHS Digital Framework for Patient-Facing Services in GPSoC Lot 1 in August 16 – we were the first SME to achieve that.”
He said a significant benefit of the setup for GP practices and patients is that it makes care safer and more efficient.
“People can take their data and share it across the system, so if your record can’t be found in Out Patients, you can share the record immediately.”
“It improves compliance, it encourages shared decision-making, it improves understanding and trust”, Fisher said.
16 Comments
I have downloaded evergreen onto my iPad and logged in with my I-patient details all seemed ok and I have the go account tab that opens ok, the problem I have is that I can not access the doctors records on myself nor can I access repeat prescriptions or appointments, both are grayed out, both work on I-patient. Any idea why this should be.
Giving patients another choice to do the same function as the original patient on line apps will be confusing for them. Sorry I cant see the point.
I talked to the NHS Digital team about producing a features comparison of the available apps, as a patient I was presented with 2 options, one of which wasn’t at that time ready to link to my practice.
Ended up using neither. I also talked to one supplier about how they get feedback from users, their disappointing response was that they expected them to contact via their GP practice. Usability and iterating features seems arcane.
The core functions of each offer are the same because they have been determined by NHS Digital. However, each supplier does deliver those core functions in more or less pleasing ways. Naturally, I think that Evergreen design is better than others’. Evergreen, as the article highlights, offers more functions now than others and will continue to develop new useful, safe and efficient approaches. We hope the list of attributes on the NHS Choices website will become more detailed, so people can choose wisely.
You can use more than one app and website, though. Try them all out and see what you think.
Brian Fisher
Dr Brian Fisher Strategy and Clinical Director
[https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/3D1HdMiCO4VRbjSVns_EOdb_PRalZH6DUflp5NMNItijJE-OJXXwil0vunFSnOzc4FqJUEW9g6xcWnEdyKLN0-HBzoK5ba076axYeir4qFT0VAeemaEqDLAZXPBjZnAHmPMy89u3] People Powered Health Tel +447949595349
Email brian.fisher@evergreen-life.co.uk Web http://www.evergreen-life.co.uk
[https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/gxbugEQ5jZDaWwkM2zVegGgxCuvb9C1CfVIBYTERBv5hYT1lyAyy_HFxTlUFEKoGAJlwS2HgMSXQNS2ECikCSSvD3W7V7r9Zw7fb8_o_pml28DQtYxxg4xl910LYvTYu_WswTzSI] [https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/j-DwwExSTOBh1hVlL8_9usAm9Yg2ITCiWjsfMxbzBqiHqkfcTbonIAwQtdvZXKr-WLJC60Q173DFcI2ROoJc6iTSAuAOxMZUWlIgvDSkAguqRB8fw2iCtJg_xVoM_eAz41gpaSkM] [https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/0un6luTnmsTx-L2_-yueHHpUmmuNlNBevhMNmhuJCe8ZPmo9_hYADejxrS7SsUgm5sZWIMf-_YpTHwyTtcib2vFZusRe-gVo0yxd9YnmSHgWNvuXQ9jX0jvcso18wMqARXTXXebZ][https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Bn4UFy-bOG-T_HI31dH8y0tv-akuM-kBS_lOb3LZT6Ryh4TJ3uO2qin9TF8tvr5Y8EDKHWiG1rpFs1xAIHOboE59sfewBkok4d4YCcu7p-r7bwoXnXxXqIw3JlVq1Od2o4_7cudH][https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/z3MTAu3ZqvmpjFQO4CUJAY3UxBBcy5Jd6ecCiC-z3kOpWSiVFGGzhdWVgcOIV6K1ADfqFmb5LtxfdQrWHDWAbE_rie2cS2fMx3EbttHD2i5yU70RcymiB26thcypEcaW_In8Y1Dp] Important Notice This communication is from Ascent Health Solutions(Registration No 9484935) trading as Evergreen Life. It is incorporated in England and Wales at registered office The Edge Business Centre, Clowes Street, Manchester. M3 5NA, United Kingdom.
This communication contains information which is confidential and may also be privileged. It is for the exclusive use of the intended recipient(s). If you are not the intended recipient(s), please (1) notify admin@evergreen-life.co.uk by forwarding this email and delete all copies from your system and (2) note that disclosure, distribution, copying or use of this communication is strictly prohibited. Email communications cannot be guaranteed to be secure or free from error or viruses.
To the extent permitted by law, Evergreen Life does not accept any liability for use of or reliance on the contents of this email by any person save by the intended recipient(s). Opinions, conclusions and other information in this email which have not been delivered by way of the business of Ascent Health Solutions Ltd are neither given nor endorsed by it.
Great, more apps to choose from…. You can actually have all apps if you want : Patient Access, Evergreen and myGPapp at the same time I will be testing all of them 🙂
Evergreen IS on the registration document. e-life.co.uk is the short url for Evergreen Life website and app.
When will it appear as an option on the registration/login details letter that EMIS Web produces when enabling access for a patient?
How does this work then. Do practices fund this?
No. It is free for practices to use. In fact the solution is being used by patients at over 4000 practices today. If a practice is interested in using the platform to send health targeted messages, then they can contact us on our website Evergreen-life.co.uk.
“Evergreen Life offers access or is about to offer access to all patients not just those from EMIS practices.”
So what does it add that SystmOne or EMIS patient Access can’t do?
Why would a user with existing system-specific app/access want to change? Does it work on PC/Mac/Linux too?
William
What does it give me that EMIS Patient Access cant do?
Evergreen Life offers access or is about to offer access to all patients not just those from EMIS practices. As well as repeat prescription ordering, appointment booking and a medical record view, people can get medication reminders, receive vaccination booster reminders and monitor many physiological measurements to help self-management of conditions. For many people who look after a family member or loved one there is the Share and Care service providing a useful way to help family members, carers and health professionals access vital health information when it is needed so that the person gets the health and care they need.
“After much hard work and sweat, our web service was accepted onto the NHS Digital Framework for Patient-Facing Services in GPSoC Lot 1 in August 16 – we were the first SME to achieve that.”
It’s great to finally see some apps getting through this process but I think this statement sums up the challenge industry as whole faces when trying to do ANYTHING remotely innovative around health care in the NHS.
We need to remove the barriers to entry. As a patient, I just want to be able to access MY data and use it with apps and service that are relevant to me. If there was a patient facing API this would solve the problem.
As this app shows we already have the backed API and the necessary identity capabilities. All it needs is an authorization service that the user can manage and the rest will be history.
People who already have accounts with Patient Access can use the same registration details (Practice Details, Account ID and Account Linkage Key), that they received from their practice to set-up their account easily in Evergreen Life.
People can also register or re-register for any patient online service including Evergreen Life via their practice reception.
Can patients already accessing their medical record via EMIS Patient Access easily move to accessing it via Evergreen?
Yes. I tried this and although the onboarding and UX needs a bit of work it is better than what you get with EMIS. It did say it was copying my data and it wasn’t clear to where even when flicking through the privacy information. It still has a fairly old school approach to T&C’s and there is way too much of it so it was probably in there somewhere. I’ll be using this instead of the EMIS “app”.
Comments are closed.