Dorset Care Record viewed over 1.5m times by health professionals

The Dorset Care Record has been viewed more than 1.5 million times by health and care professionals, supporting them to deliver faster, safer and more effective care.

The Dorset Care Record was introduced in April 2018 to boost communication between professionals working in the region.

They are able to access a single and secure view of a person’s health and care information including details about allergies, medication, discharges, test results and plans for ongoing care.

Peter Gill, senior reporting officer for the Dorset Care Record (DCR) and director of informatics at University Hospitals Dorset, said: “Uptake of the DCR has grown substantially over the past year and I hear first-hand, from clinical colleagues, the huge positive difference it is making.

“By having immediate access to vital information, it gives a more rounded picture of a patient’s heath, enabling informed decisions to be made at the right time and in the right place.”

The November viewing figures were the highest to date. Last month saw 92,624 patient records accessed and 87,952 logins. Over the past 12 months there has been a 66% rise in use of the DCR, while November’s figures represent an 8% rise.

The record is used by staff at Dorset’s acute hospitals: University Hospitals Dorset and Dorset County Hospital; community and mental health professionals at Dorset HealthCare; social care providers at Dorset Council and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Councils and GPs working for NHS Dorset.

In addition, several other partners have been granted read-only access to the record, including community pharmacies, Yeovil Hospital, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership, Help and Care and Ringwood GP practice in Hampshire.

In March last year, the record adopted GP Connect standards, opening up information and data held within GP practice IT systems for use across health and social care.

Currently, the Dorset Care Record is working with partners, including local authorities, to get additional information into the shared care record, including alerts, care packages, referrals and relationships.