England Patient portal

In England, primary care patients have access to Patient Access Portals (PAPs), enabling them to book appointments, request repeat medication prescriptions, send/receive messages and review their medical records. Egton Medical Information Systems (EMIS) is a leading primary care computer system which is used in over half (56%) of the general practices in the UK. EMIS has a web-based PAP which went live in 2005. Subject to availability and approvals from their own practice, patients can register with EMIS to access the PAP to:

• book appointments,
• submit requests of repeat medication prescriptions,
• send/receive messages via the portal to clinical and administrative staff and
• review their own medical record.

As part of their ongoing evaluation of the Patient Access Portals, EMIS designed and administered a survey to registered users, to elicit their perceived value of the Patient Access Portals. EMIS conducted the initial analysis internally based on their own areas of interest. The portal is not available as a mobile application at present, and so no observations or conclusions can be made about the impact this might have on take-up and usage.

What is Patient Access?

Patient Access is a website and mobile app which gives you access to a range of GP services online, as well as access to your health records.

Using Patient Access will allow you to:

• Book your GP appointments from the website or app
• Order your repeat prescriptions directly from the website or app
• Access your medical records

How can citizen start using Patient Access?

The Patient Access app is available on the iOS and Android app stores for free.

Citizen can also access the website at www.patientaccess.com. You will need to register for Patient Access either online, if your practice allow this, or by asking for a registration letter from your practice. When you register online and next attend at the practice, or attend to request a registration letter, you must take photo ID so your identity can be verified.

What devices can citizen use Patient Access on?

Citizen can download the Patient Access app on iOS or Android. You can also visit the website, available at www.patientaccess.com

Where can citizen download the app from?

Citizen can download the Patient Access app from the Apple App Store, or from Android’s Google Play app store.

How do citizen change their password?

Once signed in, select your name in the top right hand corner, select Account Details, then select Change password. Follow the instructions on-screen.

If citizen need any guidance while using the app, please refer to our support articles. Citizen can search by topic or have a look at the collection of articles under each category.

How secure is my data?

Citizens understand the importance of privacy and security and citizen can rest assured that your data is safe and securely protected. Citizen do not share any of their data and no data is ever saved or stored on any device you use to access Patient Access.

Can citizen share my personal health record information (fitness, steps, blood pressure readings) with my GP?

Yes. If citizen record personal health information using an app on their phone and choose ‘Connect to Apple Health’ when prompted, the information recorded is automatically transferred to Patient Access (Health Records) every time you sign in. With their permission, your GP can then access this information and add it to their full medical record.

Can citizen share areas of my medical record with family or healthcare professionals outside of their practice?

Yes. citizen can quickly and securely give temporary access to your medical record. The shared record will be available for 24 hours via a unique link and secured using an access code. The option to Share Record, is under Medical Record on the dashboard.

Can citizen request medication that has not been authorised as repeat medication?

No. Only repeat medication can be requested through Patient Access. Acute medication is displayed for information purposes only. Any medication that is not authorised as ‘repeat’ must be requested by contacting your practice.

Resource: https://www.patientaccess.com/