NHS Direct developing online assessments

NHS Direct is working with a consortium of leading IT and health specialist organisations to introduce a new suite of online clinical assessments later on this summer.

The new online assessments form part of NHS Direct's move towards providing  personalised health information and tools.

The enhanced services will provide more choice to the 50,000 patients who already access core NHS Direct services through the internet every day. NHS Direct plans to offer the new services on mobile devices and eventually on games consoles.

Online health assessment tools already available on NHS Direct include a number of symptom checkers covering mental health, men’s sexual health, contraception and colds and flu.

The new platform will mean that more topics can be developed and existing tools can be enhanced to give patients a more advanced, personalised experience, with links to other medical websites and forums.

In addition to being made available through NHS Direct, the new services will also be syndicated to NHS Choices, Directgov and a number of consumer health sites in order to achieve maximum reach.

The consortium, led by InferMed and including Rackspace Hosting, EduServ, and Sitecore, will provide a new platform for the delivery of online assessments.

Matthew Garrood, NHS Direct’s associate director of multi-channel, said: “The new online assessments are going to provide a service that will change the way people interact with the NHS.

"Initially, the services will be available via the web, but in time they will be available on multiple channels from mobile devices to IPTV and games consoles.”

Duane Lawrence, CEO of InferMed, added: “NHS Direct has made an important strategic decision to lead the way in online clinical services.

"InferMed is pleased to be a part of this world class consortium to provide such powerful tools, designed to help NHS patients get the personalised health information they need to take charge of their own care.”

E-Health Insider Awards in association with BT: NHS Direct and Digital Public were winners at last year's E-Health Insider Awards in association with BT for the initial development of the symptom checkers. Read the case study in the awards showcase.