A new health and social care shared record system is being launched in Kent and Medway that Kent County Council (KCC) says will deliver significant benefits for the region’s care professionals.
Commissioned by a collaborative comprising KCC, NHS Kent and Medway CCG, and Medway Council, the Kent and Medway Care Record (KMCR) will bring together a single view of each patient’s records from multiple source systems, to help health and social care providers make better decisions for the citizens in their care.
The KMCR will contain automated, regular data feeds from four acute hospital trusts, three community services providers, two community-based mental health services providers, 225 GP practice main sites and 85 branch sites, and around 466 social care teams based in local authorities.
KCC said the KMCR is designed to improve outcomes and experiences for the 1.8m citizens of Kent and offer considerable efficiencies and time-saving benefits to health and social care professionals across the county.
Patients will no longer need to keep repeating their medical and social care history when seen by different services. They will be able to access their own data, helping them feel more involved and engaged in their own care.
The KMCR will also enable clinicians and social carers to see what care citizens are receiving from other services such as medication prescribed, alerts or allergies, hospital test results and if the patient has a social care package.
That detailed and timely information, said KCC, will allow faster clinical decisions to be made, improve communications between referrers and service providers and improve continuity of care.
The KMCR does not give full access to patient records to all services but is designed to share key information that will allow health and social care professionals give local people better care and support. Information shared through the KMCR includes:
· Demographics.
· Next of kin/carer details.
· Medications and allergies.
· Safeguarding alerts.
· Pathology results.
· Chronological list of contact with health and social care professionals, including A&E attendances.
· Key social care data (children & adults).
· Mental health summary data including medication (children & adults).
· Referrals to other organisations.
· Carer & care provider details, e.g. if they are being looked after by multiple agencies and contact details for each organization.
· The current location of the patient e.g. inpatient, care home, step-down, mental health unit.
· Advance Directives e.g. Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR).
· Care plans (including end of life plans, crisis care plans, anticipatory care plans).
“The KMCR is a significant step forward which will provide benefits to health and social care professionals, and most importantly to our Kent and Medway residents,” said KCC’s cabinet member for adult social care and public health Clair Bell (pictured).
“It is also a good example of how collaboration between organisations can deliver better services for everyone,” she added.
KCC corporate director for children, young people and education said: “The KMCR will join up records across children’s social care, adult social are, and community and acute health services in both Kent and Medway. This will support more timely information sharing and better decision making amongst professionals, for the benefit of Kent residents.”
The solution is provided by Graphnet Health Ltd. The project to deliver the solution is being led by Cantium Business Solutions.
All core providers and local authority social care teams will have access to the KMCR by April.
In the future, Kent citizens will also be able to access their own patient records through the KMCR and planning for this will start from next year.
