Information Technology the Key to Empowering Patients

Is Information Technology the Key to Empowering Patients?

Conference 2008 with

Dr James Munro Patient Opinion – website which captures the stories of patients and carers – and feeds them back to the providers of care.

Dr Tom Smith Health Policy Insight

Dr Brian Fisher Paers Ltd and NHS Alliance presentation on patient record access

Is choosing our doctor, or hospital what we want?  Is being a patient like taking your car to the garage?  Or is what we want more control over how care is delivered – how we are treated, not where we are treated?  Shared decision making may be a better description.  As a patient I am an active participant in the process.  It’s not like leaving my car at the garage. And I may not be in a position to learn from my experience – in fact I may not be well enough to exercise choice at all.

London Voluntary Sector Resource Centre 356 Holloway Road London N7 6PA

10am – 3pm Friday 21st November

Websites which offer comparisons between doctors:

Deborah Cohen (BMJ): I want great care

Rate MDs.com

The web-based personal health record – research implications for patients, consumers, health services and UK industry