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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes in working practices have been introduced by health authorities following Her Majesty's Government's consultation exercise on the application and use of information technology in the NHS. [116855] Ms Stuart: Our consultation exercise on the application and use of Information technology in the National Health Service resulted in the national information strategy "Information for Health" (published September 1998). This strategy introduced programmes of work to achieve: Lifelong electronic health records for every person in the country. Round the clock on-line access to patient records and information about best clinical practice for all NHS clinicians. Seamless care for patients through general practitioners, hospitals and community services sharing information across the information highway. Fast and convenient public access to information and care through on-line information services and telemedicine. The effective use of NHS resources by providing health planners and managers with the information that they need. This work is being carried forward by the NHS Information Authority established in April 1999. The timescale for completion of the work described in "Information for Health" is by 2005. Current changes in working practice at grass roots level, driven by changing approaches to information management and technology, are growing day by day. Some recent examples given by NHS professionals are: Health visitors being able to access and use information from GP systems and as a result improving approaches to monitoring and taking action in cases of eg child protection, high dependence families, mental health and post natal depression GPs using a computer programme (PRODIGY) to share information about specific conditions and the best ways of treatment with patients and concluding the consultation by printing off a patient information leaflet. A health authority provides advice about a more beneficial drug. The hospital incorporates the advice into its clinical information system so that when the old drug is prescribed, information about the more beneficial treatment is displayed. The system enables the clinician to change to the new prescription very easily. Patients leave hospital on the new drug and as a result GPs also change their practice, resulting in better care and a significant cost saving. The rate of this change has been shown to be significantly accelerated by the use of the computer system. Introduction of best practice guidelines into systems supporting clinical decision making result in changes to practice with resource and patient benefits eg less pre-operative chest x-rays, more appropriate use of contrast media and endoscopes. Pointing out trends in the utilization of clinical resources by named healthcare professionals brought about a reduction in the variation in practice. (eg ordering laboratory tests--those ordering least tests ordered slightly more but those ordering most tests reduced significantly.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

347 c511W; 116855

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Computers Hospitals ICT General practitioners NHS Medical records Telephone services Community health services NHS Information Authority

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk