Auto Integration Wider Rollout within EMIS Practices
FAO: GP practices using EMIS web system
Auto-integration of electronic health records (EHRs) will be rolled out between 8th April to 28 April, across all EMIS GP practices. These changes will ensure that a patient’s electronic health record (EHR) is automatically integrated with the receiving practice’s clinical system, removing the need for administrators to manually integrate the record.
What is auto-integration?
Auto-integration is a process that enables EHRs transferred over GP2GP to automatically integrate with the receiving system when a patient registers at a GP practice. The new practice can access to the EHR immediately without having to rely on the administrative processes of the sending practice.
Currently, if records are not filed by the patient’s new practice within 8 days of receipt, a paper process is triggered. The immediate transfer of records through auto-integration means that this 8-day rule and paper process is no longer required.
The benefits of auto-integration
The benefits of auto-integration include:
- Reduced administrative burden – an estimated 319,000 hours will be saved by removing the need to manually integrate or re-summarise records.
- Improved clinical safety and patient experience – the EHR is available immediately when the patient has registered with a new practice. This enables clinical staff to deliver immediate care based on up-to-date information, without any delay to ongoing treatment.
- Cost savings – an estimated £4.8million will be saved by reducing costs associated with manual integration, printing and transportation of records.
- Prevents onward transfer of a patient’s EHR getting blocked – by not being integrated is also overcome by Auto integration, as it could lead to the loss of digital record.
For more information on Auto Integration please refer to the service page here: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/gp2gp/auto-integration