Patient Online

Patient Online is designed to support GP practices to offer and promote online services to patients. These services include:

• booking and cancelling of appointments
• ordering of repeat prescriptions
• viewing of their GP record (which includes coded information about allergies, immunisations, diagnoses, medication and test results).

Digital technology has the power to change the relationship between patients and their GP practices in the same way that it has changed our relationships in other areas of life, such as managing our finances or shopping.

Patients are being encouraged to be more active in managing their own health, to promote healthy living and self-management of chronic conditions. Access to health information and open dialogue with health professionals are important to the success of this patient empowerment.

Online services are being offered in addition to the traditional telephone and face-to-face means of interacting with a GP practice. Patients can choose the route they prefer.

The evidence for the benefits of online interactions between patients and their GP practices is growing.

• Improved access to care services: Online access helps to improve access to care services, making them more convenient, with streamlined transfers between different points of care. In turn, this contributes to improvements in levels of patient satisfaction and more efficient delivery of services, supporting better use of clinical time.
• Expanded health knowledge for patients: Better information can empower patients and carers, leading to increased health knowledge and health literacy. In turn, this can improve levels of patient satisfaction and  wellbeing. Accessing online records means that patients can review up-to-date and relevant information pre- or post-consultation (including out of hours). This increases meaningful interaction and more shared decision-making between patients and their health professionals and encourages patient ownership of their own health and care.
• Increased information sharing: Online services, information sharing and transactions support increased patient safety, including fewer mistakes, duplications, complaints and erroneous drug doses.
• Reduced administrative workload for practice staff: The use of online services can support improved business processes, helping to reduce the administrative workload of practice staff. Time released by such efficiencies will be available to support increased productivity and improvements to other aspects of care services, such as better quality reception services and a better experience for patients, particularly those who still prefer to or need to use the phone.
• Increased patient satisfaction: Online appointment booking can improve and speed up access to clinical expertise, leading to higher levels of patient satisfaction and enhanced health and wellbeing.
• Improved communication between patients and practices: Online booking services can improve communication between patients and their practices, leading to higher levels of convenience and patient satisfaction.
• Increased operational efficiencies for practices: An increase in the number of patients booking, cancelling and amending appointments online can reduce phone calls to practices. Benefits for patients and staff include increased patient satisfaction and greater operational efficiencies for the practice.
• Reduction of DNAs for practices: The use of online booking services can decrease waiting times for appointments by reducing the number of people who do not turn up for their appointment.
• Reduced travel for patients: Increased use of online repeat prescription services can lead to reduced travel time for patients, more convenience and higher levels of patient satisfaction. Additionally, it can result in a decrease in the quantity of drugs required to be held in stock, reducing cost outlay for pharmacies.
• Increased ability of patients to make more informed decisions: Patients’ satisfaction and wellbeing is increased by their ability to make more informed decisions about their health and care, facilitated by access to personal health records.

Patient Online Access can benefit patients by:

• making it easier and more convenient to book appointments, obtain test results and request repeat prescriptions;
• improving their understanding and ability to discuss health issues with their clinician;
• providing links to sources of information about their condition and treatment;
• providing information on which to make shared decisions about care;
• increasing patients' confidence to self-manage their condition;
• improving transparency of information in GP records;
• reinforcing health messages given by clinicians;
• improving patient safety e.g. by enabling patients to highlight inaccuracies in their record; and
• giving patients choice whether or not to share their health information with family carers and other health professionals.