RCGP wants greater patient access to records

In its guidance document to health professionals, Enabling Patients to Access Electronic Health Records ( PDF ), the RCGP says that GPs should provide "contemporaneous electronic record access to patients". RCGP said it published the paper to address concerns amongst health professionals about the security of sharing such information. "Many health professionals have concerns about record access. These include the impact it will have on the length of consultations, the way in which records are written, the potential for inappropriate patient access to third party information, and the potential for litigation," says the document. The document, which was supported and checked by NHS Connecting for Health, supports the government's plans to undertake an "information revolution" and give the public more control over their records, as outlined in health secretary Andrew Lansley's Liberation of the NHS white paper. RCGP also highlights the benefits of encouraging patients to access their records, stating that it can "improve the accuracy of records" and "make their contacts with general practice and hospitals as efficient as possible". But the documents also warns GPs of anxiety amongst patients about records not being restricted to those within the NHS. It says that research has found that patients want to control the amount and type of information available to other healthcare professionals, including ambulance and paramedic staff. A spokesperson for the Department of Health told SmartHealthcare.com: "The DoH is delighted to support the Royal College of GPs in producing this guidance, which is endorsed by a number of patient groups and clinical organisations. It will be a valuable source of advice for GPs and others who are taking the first steps towards giving patients greater access to their records in line with the information revolution as described in the recent white paper." RCGP plans to publish a separate paper offering electronic health record guidance to patients.