Tieto’s National Patient Summary gains wide acceptance and is to be extended further

Published: 12/17/2009

HELSINKI, FINLAND – (HealthTech Wire / News) – In the wake of its successful launch in Örebro County, the Swedish National Patient Summary, provided by Tieto, will be extended significantly in 2010, both geographically and with regards to content. In particular, a new security solution will be adapted, while authorized persons will also be able to find out what medication a patient has obtained from his pharmacy.

The Swedish National Patient Summary (NPÖ) was launched at Örebro County Council and in Örebro Municipality in May 2009. Currently, over 200 physicians, nurses and occupational therapists can access the data of thousands of patients. “Experiences in Örebro so far have really encouraged us and SVR (the Swedish Healthcare Advisory Organization) to drive the project forward,” says Christer Bergh, responsible for Tieto’s healthcare business in Sweden. Patients in particular are very open-minded about the NPÖ. Bergh: “None of the patients have refused to give their consent to the archiving of data. They seem to be very aware that making their data available can improve care and safety.”

A recent report on the progress made in Örebro County showed that the high expectations had been met. The availability of patient information has improved and the information available paints a better overall picture of a patient’s medical history. This should lead to better patient safety, which was one of the main targets of the NPÖ. Efficiency has also been improved: “With the NPÖ, there has been a reduction in the amount of administrative work involved in retrieving information,” says Bergh.

After the successful first round in Örebro, the NPÖ is currently being installed at Östergötland Country Council as well. “The system will go operational there in December 2009,” confirms Bergh. For 2010, another three County Councils are scheduled for implementation before the summer. “The plan is for all 21 county councils to be connected by the year 2012.”

Besides this step-by-step geographic extension, the NPÖ solution will also be extended in terms of technology and medical content. “We are currently connecting the Swedish pharmacy servicing company to the network. It will provide patient-specific data on medication given out by a large proportion of Swedish pharmacies,” says Bergh. This means that doctors or nurses in connected county councils or municipalities will be able to find out exactly what medication patients have received from their pharmacy – provided that the patient has consented.

Technologically, 2010 will see the NPÖ adapted to the new security solution that is becoming standard in the Swedish National IT strategy, an endeavor that will be undertaken together with Tieto’s partner, InterSystems. The “Basic Services for Information Management” (BIF) provide, for example, rules for role and competence management and for informed consent policies. Bergh: “We are committed  to the  overall goal of SVR, that the NPÖ is implemented by the end of 2012 or 2013 at the latest in all Swedish counties and regions and that it is widely used for communication between councils, municipalities and private health care providers.”

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