PRSB sets information sharing standards for long-term patients

New standards for sharing information to support people with long-term conditions have been established by the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB).

The digital care and support plan standard is targeted at those living in the UK with long-term and complex conditions, by setting out the key information that needs to be gathered, recorded and shared in a care plan.

It is hoped the result will improve communications between different health and care services enabling everyone involved in a patient’s care to have access to the right information when they need it.

The launch of the standards forms part of a national drive by the PRSB, the body has been tasked by NHS Digital with developing shared record standards, to provide people with long-term conditions with a personalised care plan.

These latest published standards have been developed with input from a wide range of professionals, carers and the people who use health services.

They agreed what information it is essential to share in order to provide well-coordinated care that addresses a person’s needs and goals.

“This is the first care and support plan of its kind and we will see the development of more specialist plans in future,” said professor Maureen Baker, PRSB chair.

“Increasingly people want to take ownership for their own health and care.  Better information sharing between different services and the people using those services will help this happen.”

The standard has been published by the Professional Record Standards Body in collaboration with North West London Clinical Commissioning Groups, NHS Digital and the Royal College of Physicians Health Informatics Unit.