Access to your own GP record is available now

doi:10.1136/bmj.39583.764109.3A

BMJ 2008;336:1147 (24 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.39583.764109.3A

Letters

Electronic health records

Access to your own GP record is available now

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

It is disappointing that technical difficulties contributedto poor uptake.¹ The pilots corroborate experience in Scotlandand elsewhere that most people are happy to have their recordsshared, particularly those with certain conditions—theyimmediately see the benefits. Currently, both Microsoft andGoogle are offering the same facility as HealthSpace: patientscan upload information that they currently hold about theirhealth to secure vaults and share that with whomever they wish.In this study, few people wanted to do that. However, we doknow, as Kidd points out, that patients are keen to have accessto their full record, in order to see results, letters and consultationrecords.

This facility has been available to patients in all EMIS practicesfor a year or so.² Patients, individually authenticate themselvesand, on a web browser anywhere in the world, can see their fullGP record reformatted so that it is easier to navigate . . . [Full text of this article]

Brian H Fisher, general practitioner

¹ London SE26 6JQ

brian.fisher403@ntlworld.com