Configuring the NHS App

PKB is fully integrated into the NHS App. Switching on PKB in your region is convenient for patients and accelerates your registrations and thus your outcomes. The integration works side by side with any other integrations GPs are using in the area eg eConsult so there is no downside or effort in switching on this functionality.

Switching on PKB inside the NHS App drives registrations (as in Sussex) and usage (as in North West London).

Benefits

The NHS App integration displays the PKB user interface inside the NHS App. This gives the NHS App user full PKB functionality which is much deeper than the standard NHS App functionality limited to just the GP. This can include:

• GP record of diagnoses, medications and allergies

• GP transactions for appointment booking for EMIS-using GPs

• hospital data including appointments, test results, radiology reports, clinic letters, discharge letters, care plans

• online consultations with free text and structured questionnaires

• secure messaging

• symptom tracking

• device integration including over 100 wearables for tracking activity, blood pressure, weight and glucose

• shared care planning

• consent management

This uses the NHS App's "NHS front door" policy to show data from primary, secondary, tertiary, community, mental health and social care. The patient also receives data from across the UK from other customers treating the patient allowing complete borderless care.

The PKB user interface appears in the language of the smartphone and PKB supports over 20 languages already. The NHS App works outside the UK so supports travel and emergency care.

Setting up PKB in the NHS App for your patients

PKB only appears for a patient in the NHS App if the patient's GP's ODS code has been configured to show PKB.

To configure your practice's ODS code with PKB's user interface please contact us so we can provide you with full details. You will need to send a message like this one to NHS Digital:

To: NHS Digital [contact details available from PKB]

CC: PKB regional team

Subject: Configuring the NHS App to show PKB for patients in our STP

Following a discussion with our PKB reps we would like to request that when patients across YOUR_STP_NAME use the NHS app application they see Patients Know Best surfaced within the NHS app. We need this for all patients across all GP surgeries because our hospital treats patients across the entire region.

We will use this for patients to see their non-GP data and for patients to message the clinical teams we have configured. We understand that this will not affect other products GPs have configured within the NHS App to show to patients. We have already read the PKB documentation to show that PKB's software will handle all scenarios for registration and logging in, and that PKB's help desk team will receive queries from patients.

Using PKB in the NHS App as a patient

If the ODS code is correctly configured then tapping the Medical Record button in the NHS App shows the Health page from PKB. Full functionality is available to navigate to from there, e.g. online consultations.

The very first time the patient tries to use PKB with the NHS login, the patient has to enter their PKB login. This is to provide the NHS login with the patient's decryption key. The key is necessary because PKB secures each patient's record with a unique encryption key and lets the patient manage who has access to that key through the patient's PKB Login. Therefore the fastest and best way to onboard patients onto the NHS App is to mass register the patients with PKB Login.

If the patient does not have a PKB login, or does not have a PKB record, the PKB software will take care of setting up a PKB login and PKB record for the patient.

Linking the NHS Login to the PKB Login can happen in any channel - web sites or the NHS App - and once it is set up it works in all channels. In other words the patient could link the NHS Login within the NHS App and log into the PKB web site with the NHS Login. Or the patient could link the NHS login to the PKB login on the PKB web site and then use PKB within the NHS App without any login. (This would be because the patient is already logged into the NHS App with the NHS login, and the NHS login now has the decryption keys link to the PKB login through the initial PKB web site set-up.)

Below are screenshots of some PKB functionality. Full details are available on the PKB manual.

Patients with data from PKB customer

Providers can release more data into the PKB record than the NHS App's GP record. PKB shows all this data to the patient inside the NHS App, including hospital test results, appointments, library links and care plans.

Each clinical team can also make themselves available for secure messaging and structured consultations. PKB shows these options inside the NHS App user interface.

Patients without data from PKB customer

All PKB users – with or without data from PKB customers – can benefit from using PKB's patient-held record functionality. A patient can add medicines not included in the NHS Apps' GP record, record measurements like peak flow, add upcoming appointments, record in their journal, and create their own care plan. This functionality makes their next appointment more efficient and any emergency care more safe.

Effort required by local NHS staff

PKB handles all different scenarios with the patient without requiring any support from local health care providers. PKB's software walks the patient through their options. If a patient is stuck, they contact the PKB support desk on help@patientsknowbest.com and PKB employees handle the questions. None of the STPs using PKB in the NHS App have reported queries to staff from patients.