Simplifying systems
Health chiefs in England have announced plans for a single patient record (SPR) that will bring together all a patient’s information in one place. The plan aims to ensure medics have a full picture of someone’s medical history, but will the programme be able to achieve that goal?
Writing on the BMJ website, associate research scientist Jessica Morley warns that despite its “laudable” aim, there are “oft-repeated mistakes that could derail it”. One of these is clinicians being presented with too much information by seeing the entire record at once, which risks “cognitive overload and raises governance, provenance and accuracy concerns”.
Morley points to the fact that viewing information is different to seeking information, where a user has to find what they need it, understand it and safely act on it. Instead of being able to quickly find a specific piece of relevant information, medics could be hindered by the amount of other detail in front of them.
Morley also highlights the risks of “scope creep” and “overpromising on timeline and benefits” which can erode trust. She adds: “None of this is to say that the SPR is a bad idea – it is not. But the programme is at risk of repeating history. It needs a longer timeline, reduced scope, better problem articulation (viewing or seeking?), a more defensible social contract and specific, measurable, verifiable targets, rather than headline-grabbing, but likely unachievable, round figures.”
