Most people don’t know they have the right to view medical records online

[Northerner]

More than two-thirds of patients do not realise that they have the right to see their records online, research shows.

As many as 71% of people are unaware that technology allows them to access their GP record online or via a smartphone, according to the results of a YouGov survey of 2,243 adults. Respondents added that they would use the technology, or thought it would help manage their health better.

From next April, all patients registered with a GP in England should be able to have online access to their medical records, under a commitment given by health secretary Jeremy Hunt as part of the Patient Online initiative, designed to allow patients to book appointments, order repeat prescriptions and monitor their records online.

Although the target forms part of GPs’ contracts for 2014-15, it is estimated that around 3% of GPs currently offer the service to their patients.

http://www.theguardian.com/healthca...ients-right-to-view-gp-medical-records-online

 

[MacG3]

I would say 3% is an over estimation, most GP's are looking at repeat prescriptions and appointment booking, but viewing records online still has issues around security.

As it stands at the moment you are going to have to show some form of id to the receptionist or register during a GP visit and be assigned a userid and password. Then comes the sticky issue of resetting lost or forgotten passwords.

This begs the question that should we be looking at our GP services to be systems administrators or should this be delivered at a CCG level?

The system has to be secure, yet easy enough for the less computer illiterate to use. This is not an easy task and cue Daily Mail mockrage when someone's records get hacked!

 

[KookyCat]

We already have the system in place to book appointments and order online repeats and there's even an app. Yesterday they just turned on the electronic prescriptions thank goodness. It has the option to view your records but that bit isn't available yet and I'm not sure I want it to be...I expect the word Stroppy cow are emblazoned across mine

 

[Northerner]

We already have the system in place to book appointments and order online repeats and there's even an app. Yesterday they just turned on the electronic prescriptions thank goodness. It has the option to view your records but that bit isn't available yet and I'm not sure I want it to be...I expect the word Stroppy cow are emblazoned across mine

Writing things down that you don't think the person will ever see reminds me of my English teacher. He was an ex-RAF fighter pilot and very strict (but a great teacher). He dictated notes about 'Pride and Prejudice and we had to write them down at breakneck speed. As he also had quite a few 'vocal quirks' to his delivery, I used to write these into my notes as well - it all sounded quite hilarious when you read them back!

Cue after the exam and said English teacher comes to me and asks if he can have my notes so he can use them for future classes 😱 I couldn't say no! I was returning the following year and he stopped me in the corridor - thought I was in for a thrashing! But no, he told me how much he had enjoyed the little embellishements

 

[KookyCat]

Writing things down that you don't think the person will ever see reminds me of my English teacher. He was an ex-RAF fighter pilot and very strict (but a great teacher). He dictated notes about 'Pride and Prejudice and we had to write them down at breakneck speed. As he also had quite a few 'vocal quirks' to his delivery, I used to write these into my notes as well - it all sounded quite hilarious when you read them back!

Cue after the exam and said English teacher comes to me and asks if he can have my notes so he can use them for future classes 😱 I couldn't say no! I was returning the following year and he stopped me in the corridor - thought I was in for a thrashing! But no, he told me how much he had enjoyed the little embellishements

Cringe! At least he enjoyed them . I have a habit of writing words on notepads that describe the person speaking, it's bound to get me in trouble some day.

 

[Bloden]

We already have the system in place to book appointments and order online repeats and there's even an app. Yesterday they just turned on the electronic prescriptions thank goodness. It has the option to view your records but that bit isn't available yet and I'm not sure I want it to be...I expect the word Stroppy cow are emblazoned across mine

Electronic prescriptions have been introduced here, but not for people on insulin because we all use it at our own pace. How does it work in the UK?

 

[Mrs Mad Ronin]

I have access to booking appointments and ordering my perscriptions online but i'm not allowed to view test results or records yet. My surgery haven't got that far yet.

 

[KookyCat]

Electronic prescriptions have been introduced here, but not for people on insulin because we all use it at our own pace. How does it work in the UK?

You just tick a box for the insulin and then whiz bang tastic it's there at Boots waiting for me. You can do an automatic repeat so you never have to actually request it but that would be too difficult to do without ending up with a stock pile too big for my fridge. I've already got 20 Lantus pens due to a comedy prescription error (well three successive errors with the same prescription) so I won't be needing any more of that any time soon 🙄

 

[Bloden]

Sounds really efficient. I still have to make an appointment to see my doc for repeat scripts.

 

[trophywench]

The receptionists can't see the records - only me and the doctors themselves can, they have to enter a code or a card.

The receptionist doesn't allocate anything - you fill in a form saying you want to use this method. they access the service and give you an access code. You go home, go to the web address and enter the access code, you then register with the site and get an email giving you a code to get in, to activate it.

You activate it and not until that time can you choose a password - which has to be a secure one (mixture of upper and lower, numerals and letters no shorter than X and no longer than Y characters - took me a little while to think of one it would accept !)

The receptionist can't even see what I have ordered till a doc has sanctioned the scrip, once they 'issue' the scrip, it is visible to reception but not until then.

There seem to be more appointments available on-line than there are at the surgery! and the receptionists don't have access to them, but once you've booked it, it appears on the surgery system. eg I happened to be on the phone to them so whilst I was on, thought I'd book my fasting blood test. About 3 weeks away for one at any early hour.

Then I looked on-line and booked one at 7.50 the next morning. Bats !!