Patients Know Best joins forces with blockchain company for virtual shared record

A patient portal provider has partnered with a blockchain firm to offer shared virtual medical records to diabetic patients.

Patients Know Best (PKB) and Dovetail Lab have teamed up for the project, which is being funded by SBRI Healthcare through the General Practice of the Future competition.

The project means clinicians in Bury, Greater Manchester, can share relevant data on patients on a patient consent basis.

SBRI Healthcare is an NHS England-funded programme supported by the 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs).

The project uses blockchain technology to interact with existing medical records systems in order to provide a secure ledger of medical data interactions which can be tracked and audited.

Patients benefit from the digital record provided to them via PKB, with the ability to manage their care from home using blood glucose, blood pressure and weight monitoring smart devices.

They can also communicate with care professionals remotely and share their care plans with other local clinicians.

Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli, CEO of Patients Know Best, said: “This is another example of PKB’s patient-controlled approach integrating well with other systems.

“We are proud to work with Dovetail Lab’s pioneering blockchain technology to show patients their data from GP systems, and to make home recorded glucose measurements and medical information available from patient to GP.”

In June 2017, young adults in Wales living with diabetes were given the ability to control who could access their PKB medical record.

People between the ages of 16 to 24 are able register for a PKB record across all seven health boards in the country, as part of a year-long pilot.