Patient Data Protection and Technology

There are a number of things that are constantly in and out of the news. One of them is the National Health Service (NHS), due to a number of issues that have been happening across the board, such as high waiting times, lack of staff and in some cases, privatisation.

Another issue that’s popped up recently is data sharing, particularly in the age of GDPR, which has hit industries in every sector, dealing with personal information across the globe. However, it could be argued that medical data is one of the most personal around.

But, as we live in a digital world, it would only seem natural that the NHS would evolve. With a digital plan, devised to create better digital standards, which would include data sharing amongst different areas of the NHS, it would only be natural for people to worry.

However, there is a way to ensure that patients are much safer than they would have been prior. This is through the use of a Patient Administration System. While both patients and even employees of the NHS may wonder what these are, we’ve taken the time to highlight the benefits of these systems below.

Patient Administration System

In a nutshell, these systems record patient engagement across any NHS trust. This includes information surrounding inpatients, outpatients and even emergency cases. They can also account for and manage patient demographics, appointment referrals, waiting list data and referrals for treatment.

Helping to automate processes and helping workers keep on top of data with a vast number of patients, these can help to increase efficiency for both yourself and patients.

The ways these systems can help are:

Instant updates: Rather than having records for a person that are written by multiple people, which can cause confusion with handwriting, these digital systems completely remove this issue. The system also means the update won’t be lost or forgotten, which could happen with paper documents, and can even be accessed across various places.

End to end system: As a hospital is used by hundreds of members of staff on a single day, these systems are designed to help everyone out. This means that each person can access accurate, real-time data, helping them to make important decisions quickly for patients.

Easy integration: These systems can be slotted in next to pre-existing systems quickly and easily. Or if you want a complete overhaul of a system, there are many PAS systems that can be used, which make data migration quick and easy.

Reduces admin: One of the best features of these systems is that they can help to remove a lot of admin time, which can take longer than expected. This will then allow you to spend more time with your patients, helping to improve quality of care.

So, if you’ve been worrying about your data, as you can see, there’s nothing to worry about, as these systems are designed to keep everyone’s information safe. But, more importantly, they’ve been designed to help improve care for everyone across the board.