UK’s health agency to change its data processes

September 23, 2013

Recently, the Policy Exchange released a report outlining how much the government is wasting on paper records. Around the same time as that report, the National Health Services is working on a plan to revamp their database management services

"This fund will empower local clinicians and health services to come together and find innovative solutions for their patients," Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the Independent.

Changing the framework of hospitals and clinics throughout the United Kingdom will and-families/health-news/nhs-to-receive-240m-government-funding-boost-as-health-secretary-pledges-to-revolutionise-the-way-it-uses-technology-8797113.html” target=”_blank”>take up to five years to complete. Early phases of this project will consist of e-prescription orders and booking appointments, and health care providers who wish to receive some of the funding will have to apply, according to the Independent. Practices will have to present a case that supporting a "self-funded spending commitment for new technology, which the government will match." 

There will be plenty of funding to go around, about £1 billion to start—equal to about $1.3 billion. NHS hopes that improving the industry's records management system will allow emergency room personnel to have access to  patients' medical records. The goal is to create a framework that will allow doctors from all parts of the UK to access a patient's record electronically.

"Rather than imposing a clunky one size fits all approach from [the government], this fund will empower local clinicians and health services to come together and find innovative solutions for their patients," Hunt told Future Gov.

The United States is in the midst of a similar initiative sponsored by Medicare. More than 80 percent of hospitals and half of offices throughout the country are equipped with an electronic medical record system. Businesses in any industry can improve their data processes through the support of similar software.

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