Digital Services

Search View all results Filter by Type Select all Pages Blog posts Case studies Books News Articles Events Challenge NHS needed to protect vulnerable patients’ privacy and give patients easier access to past records on the NHS App. Approach We worked with safeguarding professionals, using research and workshops to design a phased solution. Result Patients gained more control of their personal health records, while the NHS cut admin costs and improved efficiency. Challenge: providing risk-free access to NHS health records The NHS wants to give patients better digital access to their health records through the NHS App. Until recently, patients could only see new information that the GP added, but not past records. We were brought in to look at how to improve patient access to this information whilst at the same time reducing any risks. The project focused on 2 key areas. Reducing risks for vulnerable patients Some patients expressed concerns that having access to some of their personal health information could expose them to psychological trauma or physical harm. How could we reduce this risk? Giving access to past health records Would making it easier to view past records actually help patients or frontline workers? Could a feature be added to the NHS App for patients to request more detailed information in their records? 1. Reducing risks for vulnerable patients Our approach : developing designs alongside safeguarding professionals The NHS wanted us to research and design an NHS App feature that lets patients control what health information they see in the App. To address this, we conducted interviews and workshops with safeguarding professionals both in primary and secondary care. We consulted technical experts about current NHS IT system limitations. We also looked at how smartphone users already protect sensitive information on commonly used apps. Based on these findings, we suggested a phased approach with 3 key improvements: short-term: update the NHS App with guidance on how patients can ask their GP to limit access to their records. medium-term: let patients reduce the level of detail they see in the NHS App without needing GP intervention, reducing workload for practices and providing immediate control to patients. long-term: develop a ‘redaction’ feature that allows patients to hide specific details without removing them from records. We shared designs and user flows with stakeholders. The phased approach was well received and the NHS are now considering next steps to implement these features. Results: giving patients control and easing GP workloads Our work will result in several key benefits for both patients and the NHS. Benefits for patients Enhanced privacy and security Patients will have greater control over their personal health data, reducing risks of unwanted access or exposure to distressing information. Improved wellbeing for vulnerable groups The new features will support people with past trauma, domestic violence survivors, and those with learning disabilities or autism. Increased autonomy Patients can manage their own record visibility without needing the GP to get involved. Benefits for the NHS Reduced administrative burden By allowing patients to control record visibility, GP practices will receive fewer manual requests, freeing up staff time. Improved efficiency GP Practices can focus on providing care rather than managing access requests. Scalable digital transformation The solutions align with ongoing NHS England digital initiatives, laying the groundwork for further improvements to patient services. 2. Access to past health records on the NHS App The NHS also wanted to make past health records easier to access. Prior to July 2023, access to Historic Detailed Coded Records (HDCR) was limited to only 3.9% of the population. Expanding access to HDCR could provide patients with more comprehensive insights into their health. More access could help patients manage their health and reduce strain on the NHS, but some worried it would burden GP practices. The we team evaluated these concerns and explored how a request feature within the NHS App might work. Our approach: user-research to improve processes The team: conducted user research to establish patient needs and clinician concerns analysed the existing process for access requests worked with NHS England teams to align with other projects such as Mobile First , GP Connect , and the Data Saves Lives strategy interviewed patients and visited GP practices to see how things currently work Results: giving patients valuable insights into their health Expanding access to Historic Detailed Coded Records would provide patients with valuable insights into their health, including conditions / diagnoses, medications, allergies, and immunisations. For the client, we found ways to improve efficiency. By following best practices, GP staff could cut the processing time to approve patient requests to access their historical data by up to 40 minutes per request , resulting in quicker access to vital health data for patients and saving time for healthcare providers. Our research demonstrated that improved digital access provides benefits to both patients and NHS staff. Off the back of the research we recommended 15 key actions. Here are some of the most important ones: Creating an interim digital request process until the new NHS App is ready Promoting the benefits of digital access across all stakeholder groups Using clear, patient-friendly language to improve understanding and engagement Creating training resources for GP practices to streamline onboarding Providing training for GP staff to make the onboarding process easier This project will make it easier for patients to access their NHS records while keeping their information safe. By giving patients more control over what they see, we can reduce risks and streamline processes for GP practices. The NHS is now looking at how to implement these improvements, which will make it easier and safer for people to manage their health information. For more information on the healthcare services we offers, take a look at our Health and Life Sciences webpages. Digital transformation Digital transformation is more than tools and buzzwords. Rethink how you deliver digital services to make them more accessible, efficient and better for users. Health and life sciences As patient numbers rise, digital technology can help you lighten the load. Speak with an expert Tags Digital transformation Health and care Stay in the loop Get expert insights delivered monthly Case Study Improving data reporting in adult social care Enhancing social care data reporting accuracy and efficiency with machine learning at Skills for Care. Case Study Successful alpha unlocks data for the Department of Health and Social Care With DHSC we’ve built a data platform to give care providers and councils better data insights. Our alpha passed GDS assessment and now we’re heading into beta. 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