MIG (The Medical Interoperability Gateway)
This is a new system that has now become available in primary care. The concept is that other health providers (eg DevonDoctors Out of Hours GPs, or Derriford Hospital ) would be able to access basic clinical information if needed.
The clinician seeing the patient at the time would have to seek that patient’s consent, and whatever is seen cannot be stored or held (“read-only view”). The data remains under the practice’s control, is not transferred and cannot be altered by third parties. The clinical record cannot be seen without the patient’s consent in the consultation, at that time. Consent is valid for that consultation only.
The information that could be shared is limited. This would include medical summary of diagnoses, problems and operations, prescribed medication, drug allergy, investigation results such as blood tests. Blood pressure measurements, a list of referrals and hospital admissions, and patient demographics (name, date of birth, address) would also be available. The most important point is that the “free text” of what is said or written within consultations would not be visible.
