Milestone for online portal giving easy access to hospital results
Patients using hospital services are being encouraged to sign up for a secure online portal that lets them see certain information and test results, and join more than 200,000 others registered locally.
The online tool, Patient Know Best (PKB), is a secure method for people to view selected health information from their hospital care through any internet-enabled device, such as a smartphone, or via the nationally popular NHS App.
It is available to patients treated at hospitals run by the Trust, alongside some other hospital Trusts, making it easier for patients to see a more complete picture of their care in one place.
Sarah has used the portal as a patient at Broomfield Hospital, part of the Trust, and said: “I can’t express how much of a difference PKB has made! It supported me when I received cancer treatment in London and is now helping me as I’m pregnant after IVF and under Broomfield Hospital’s maternity care.”
The portal was used 65,000 times in mid and south Essex in March to access information including upcoming hospital outpatient appointments, discharge letters, and reports from recent scans or X-rays. Appointment details are the most popular feature, while more information is set to be added.
Sarah added: “Knowing that Broomfield Hospital will be adding results from more of my tests and appointments is going to make everything so much easier. It’s going to provide such a complete picture. All local residents should embrace it and get signed up. It’s not just convenient, it’s about being in control of your own health.”
Planned additions include providing more hospital test results and online questionnaires to patients after they have had their appointment so that clinical teams can track their recovery, give more effective treatment and avoid unnecessary visits to hospital.
Zephan Trent, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at the Trust, said: “Our patient portal has many exciting features which make it easier to use our services. Online access to key clinical information, including a growing list of test results and appointment details, will save time and put control of patients’ healthcare in their hands, meaning they don’t have to wait for a letter to arrive in the post. This milestone shows the local appetite to view health information online, and I encourage others to start using the tool.”
Find out more about PKB and how to register for free at the Trust’s website: https://www.mse.nhs.uk/patients-know-best-pkb