BMJ  2008;336:1090-1091 (17 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.39580.501204.DB

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Electronic sharing of patients’ data requires their explicit consent, report says

¹ London

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

The NHS says it will continue to deploy electronically shareable summaries of health records in England, despite an independent evaluation’s criticism of the way it obtains the consent of patients.

The study of the experiences of four "early adopter" primary care trusts in implementing the electronic summary care record finds fault with several aspects of the culture and methods of the controversial national programme for IT in the English NHS. The report, published last week, criticises the programme’s "narrow and instrumental focus on implementing a technology" rather than on broader change.

However, the report’s authors reserve equal ire for the programme’s critics in lobby groups and sections of the press for contributing to "demonisation" through "a lamentable lack of criticality," which overshadowed sensible debate.

In an implicit criticism of the BMA the authors say that professional groups should not try to impose blanket rules concerning the use of the summary . . . [Full text of this article]

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