UK Health System to Expand Online Presence
In the future, medical patients in the United Kingdom will be able to login on a computer to make choices about the care they will receive, keep track of their treatment, and select which medical professional they want to see.
In a few years, medical patients in the United Kingdom will be able to log onto a computer and choose their type of care, keep track of their treatment, and select their medical professionals.
As part of an information revolution for the U.K.'s National Health Service, England's Department of Health will solicit feedback on the plan. The BBC reported citizens should have control over their care by 2014.
The Department of Health claims the initiative will boost standards in care. The online system will include records summarizing a patient's care. Users also would be able to check out different options by comparing the performance of different hospitals and doctors, according to the BBC.
Patients will also rate their health care services, the Daily Telegraph reported.
"Where user-driven sites such as Tripadvisor have led as powerful advocates for consumers, health information and services can follow to empower patients and families," wrote the Daily Telegraph's Martha Lane Fox.