The reliability and safety of electronic communication between GPs and healthcare services was further enhanced with the publication today of an update to the Health Information and Quality Authority’s General Practice Messaging Standards (GPMS).

In response to feedback from frontline practitioners and end-users, HIQA has now updated its GPMS specifications to include new requirements such as the addition of a “corrected results” element which provides GPs with additional information on laboratory tests they have ordered. This update will remove any potential confusion regarding repeat test results versus new test findings, increasing service quality and patient safety.

Professor Jane Grimson, Director of Health Information with HIQA said: “There was a positive response to our initial GPMS with frontline practitioners giving us really useful feedback on additional elements that would further enhance electronic communication between labs and GP practices. On foot of this, we have now updated the Standards and have today published version 2.0 for use.”

“Messaging standards provide the basis for ensuring that vital information about patients is available when and where it is needed. Through the electronic sharing of information, the risk of adverse events for patients can be reduced, waiting times can be shortened and the patient referral process can be made more efficient. The implementation of the GPMS is a real and concrete development for patient safety in Ireland” continued Professor Grimson.

The GP Messaging Standards outline the way patient information, ranging from blood test results, diagnosis information, referrals and X rays, can be more accurately and safely transferred between healthcare services.

The updated GPMS 2.0 will further prevent the need for unnecessary duplicate diagnostic testing and enable the faster diagnosis of disease. In addition, these standards can help GPs free up more time to dedicate to the delivery of frontline care instead of having to allocate resources to administrative work which impacts directly on patient care. And importantly, they can also reduce the likelihood of transcription errors and enable the faster, more accurate provision of care.

The Authority is recommending that these updated Standards continue to be used as the national standard for Ireland. An outline summary and a full copy of the Standards are available from www.hiqa.ie.

Further Information: 

For further information please contact:
Sinead Whooley, Communications Manager, Health Information and Quality Authority
01 8147488 / 087 9221941/ swhooley@hiqa.ie

Notes to the Editor: 

These Standards were developed with input from a wide range of stakeholders including frontline healthcare providers, healthcare experts and decision-makers who will continue to be involved as we further develop the standards for implementation. A full list of those who took part in the development process can be found in Appendix 1 of the outline summary document

Benefits of the Standards to frontline healthcare providers (for example, GPs) include:
the more efficient and effective delivery of care by removing the need to wait for the exchange of paperwork, records etc. by having immediate access to online patient information
a reduction/removal of the need for duplicate and unnecessary repeat testing
earlier diagnosis and faster commencement of appropriate care
complete, accurate and searchable patient information at the point of care delivery.

The aim of the Authority’s Standards is to prevent any potential misinterpretation of data and enable the adoption of a standardised messaging system for the appropriate and safe sharing of patient information and data in healthcare settings in Ireland

Under the Health Act 2007, the Authority has responsibility for researching and making recommendations on the best use of health information within the system to increase patient safety and efficiency of care. The GPMS project falls under this mandate and has, as its core objective, an extensive analysis of international best practice in the area.