Healthcare on brink of an 'Information Revolution'

Consultation process likely to recommend greater use of e-health solutions

NHS technology could be transformed over the coming years

The Department of Health has launched a consultation looking into how information and technology can be used to improve healthcare.

The “Information Revolution” consultation will look at how increased patient access to information and technology might improve operational efficiency and patient experience.

Initiatives being considered include allowing patients to either contact their GP online or control their records - thereby encouraging online interactive healthcare services.

Cornelia Wels-Maug, senior analyst for Ovum in European Healthcare IT, said current operational systems will be replaced with more efficient and cost-effective technologies.

“The most significant health push coming from the UK government comes under the ‘E-health’ umbrella,” said Wels-Maug.

“E-health describes interactions between a patient and the care-giver when they are not in the same location.”

For example, so-called telehealth systems allow a patient with a chronic illness to be monitored automatically via a home-located device that communicates with a healthcare provider.

If the device records any unusual measurements, the healthcare provider is instantly alerted.

The review could also recommend the use of e-prescriptions. Here a patient and their GP discuss symptoms online after which the GP can electronically submit a prescription to the pharmacy, which can then be picked up by the patient without ever having to visit the surgery.

“The big benefits to this will of course be cost. In the case of electronic patient records, everything will be instantly accessible. This saves the duplication of work, meaning doctors will be freed up to see more patients,” said Wels-Maug.

“Keeping the old systems running alongside the new ones will be too costly.”

The consultation is due to close on 14 January 2011.