Following the launch of myhealth@QEHB in 2012 University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust has now seen 20,000 patients register for the platform.
Developed by UHB’s in-house Technical Development and Informatics Team, the portal allows Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham patients to remotely access some of the their clinical information held by the Trust, including letters, appointments and laboratory results.
Patients can also upload information to the portal, allowing clinical staff to instantly see updates and respond where necessary. The platform has the facility to store and share files relating to their health as well as add appointments from other hospitals helps to create a more complete picture of their healthcare.
Dr James Ferguson, Clinical Lead for the portal: “Opening up clinical information empowers patients and transforms the doctor-patient relationship from a paternalistic one to a partnership. Once in place the patient portal also allows innovative ways of working such as video clinics and remote monitoring.”
Work on the portal is ongoing, with UHB hoping to build on the success of recently piloted video consultations, allowing patients to have an appointment with clinical staff from the comfort of their own home.
Anne Bingham-Jones, a transplant patient referred to QEHB from her home in Cheshire uses the portal regularly said: “Having access to my results, scans and correspondence through myhealth@QEHB has made a huge difference to maintaining my relationship with my consultant and my overall health. I’d tell anyone to use it.”
“Prior to signing up, I had to make a round trip from Cheshire to Birmingham every three months, though at one time I was requiring weekly appointments. Not only was this draining, it took a whole day each time. Now, through myhealth@QEHB I have a direct line of communication with the hospital without having to be there in person. I’m delighted with it.”
