Researchers from the Institute of Digital Healthcare (IDH) at WMG are working with healthcare software experts at Dovetail Lab on ‘General Practice of the Future.’

Using Blockchain Technology, our team of Assistant Professor George Despotou, Research Assistant Jill Evans, Professor Theo Arvanitis and PhD student Tim Robbins are developing a digital consent service for the exchange of patient data across electronic health records in an integrated care setting. High levels of encryption allow information to be shared securely with consent, and audit records stored on a “Blockchain” to ensure compliance with information governance rules.

Patients using this consent mechanism will be able to actively control how they share their data, and approve or refuse (case-by-case), from a mobile app.

This approach puts the patient at the heart of all data sharing relationships, giving them full transparency over who has access to their data. It will also help to create a more informed picture of the patient with a shared virtual health record, helping clinicians and patients to better manage complex and long-term conditions.

In addition, the technology will also improve efficiency; cutting the overheads of more labour-intensive approaches to sharing information and managing consent.

You can find out more about IDH here.