Survey finds vital health information should be shared

VITAL health information should be shared across different health agencies to benefit the care of patients, according to a new poll.

The Red C survey found that an average of every three in four people were comfortable with professionals, health agencies and researchers accessing their personal medical records.

The research of people’s views on the use of their personal health details was carried out for the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).

While younger people were largely comfortable with others accessing their medical files, older groups were less content.

Up to 81% of people aged 18-24 were comfortable with a researcher accessing personal records to improve healthcare for everyone, while just 69% of people aged 45-54 felt the same.

The poll findings will be used in a debate on the Government’s Health Information Bill, the HIQA said yesterday.

The new legislation will deal with the collection, use, sharing, storage, disclosure and transfer of personal health information as well as the rights of individuals to control and access their health information.

In its submission to the Department of Health on the planned legislation, HIQA has argued that international evidence suggests that a failure to communicate information between care providers when patients are handed over is a “major contributing factor to adverse incidents”.

Other findings in the Red C poll include:

* 96% thought GPs and the hospital should use the same number to identify health information.

* 94% stated that their personal medical records should be accessed by medical professionals if picked up by ambulance in a life-threatening situation

* 86% believe that their health information should be linked up across the health system.

* 75% of people already believe that, in most circumstances, the hospital does contact their GP with important information when they are discharged.

Director of information with HIQA Professor Jane Grimson said: “These results indicate that more should be done to effectively link health information across healthcare settings.”

The Red C poll was carried out in October across all demographic groups, with 1,002 members of the general public.