Summary
Objectives
In modern society, people expect to be actively informed and engaged in decisions
about their own health care. Developments in health informatics for patients are increasingly
enabling digital solutions to supporting a culture of shared decision making between
patients and clinicians. In England, the national patient portal NHS Choices has pioneered
patient access to information, with the objectives of achieving significant volumes
of use and delivering measurable benefits for patients and the healthcare system.
Methods
Opportunities for patients to use online information and transactions exist along
the patient pathway, utilising a variety of methods including using online symptom
checkers to manage minor ailments, choosing health services informed by metrics about
the quality of service provided and patient comments, through to care delivered online.
Results
Independent evaluation of NHS Choices has indicated that the website is effective
in reducing primary care consultations for minor ailments through providing information
on appropriate self care. Further research is demonstrating that the collective voice
of patients, expressed through online ratings and comments on care received, has a
good correlation with more objective, quantitative measures of provider quality.
Conclusion
NHS Choices has achieved high volumes of public use (15 million visits a month) and
positive impacts for patients and the health care system. A new information strategy
for health and social care in England published in 2012 sets the way ahead for the
future of informatics for patients and the public.
Keywords
Patients - consumer health - choice - shared decision making - patient ratings - self
care
