Cognitant partners with Patient to enhance GP health information prescriptions

Healthinote is the UK’s leading patient learning platform, with over 7,000 pieces of validated patient information from over 85  trusted partners. It is used by doctors, nurses and pharmacists to prescribe immersive and engaging tools such as 3D animations, written content, apps and videos, to help patients take control of their own health. It is also used by patients via a website or app to search directly for easy-to-understand health information about their condition or treatment.

 

The clinical information on Patient.info is created by medical professionals and peer-reviewed by an extensive network of doctors and healthcare professionals. It is used by GPs to facilitate their consultations and the partnership is in direct response to GPs requesting its inclusion on Healthinote.

“A challenge for GPs is to offer patients the best possible care in an appointment of less than 10 minutes”, said Dr Juhi Tandon, GP and Medical Director, Cognitant. “The inclusion of Patient.info to the Healthinote library will enhance a clinician’s ability to efficiently access trusted information during a GP appointment and to seamlessly share that with patients – who can then digest the advice and action at home.”

The partnership will allow healthcare professionals to prescribe more holistic and patient-friendly tools to support self-management of long-term conditions, minor injuries and healthy living. Patient.info’s information often focuses on managing symptoms, not just conditions, which will enable patients to conduct self-care more effectively. For example, if a patient suffers from indigestion, there is guidance on how to prevent it such as stopping smoking or eating regular meals, while also providing an understanding of the common causes, as well as medications that are available.

The results of a recent survey of NHS primary care clinicians – conducted by Cognitant in collaboration with EMIS and eConsult – revealed that patient.info was a top preferred source of information content for clinicians to share with patients, along with the NHS.uk website.

 

Healthinote is the only information prescription provider that hosts a repository of accredited health content and digital services that is integrated with clinical systems such as eConsult. Any GPs who use eConsult’s patient messaging tool, can use Healthinote to send health information prescriptions to patients.

Dr Tandon added: “Patient.info is a trusted brand of health content popular with GPs, including me, and I look forward to sharing their links with my patients to augment my consultations. This partnership is a big step in our journey towards democratising health information. GPs work hard to meet the rising demand for primary care services, delivering increasingly complex care. In this landscape, it is vitally important that we empower people to take charge of their health and play an active role in management of their conditions. Providing patients with the right tools, and with information they can trust, will help to encourage patients to only go to their GP when they really need to, saving appointments for people who need them most.”

Dr Krishna Vakharia, Clinical Director, Patient: “Patient.info is known for its accurate, up-to-date medical information and sharing this through Healthinote will allow us to help even more patients. In a world where health information can be conflicting and confusing, our resources aim to cut through the noise with the latest medical evidence and guides on symptoms and signs to look out for. Ultimately, we want all patients to be able to manage their own conditions and make informed decisions about their care. We’re delighted to be partnered with Cognitant so we can bring trusted, reliable health information to more people.”