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Renal units created some of the first electronic patient records in the UK in the early 1980s and since then have been leaders in the clinical use of IT.
Electronic patient records
The first technologies aimed to show patient blood test results in a cumulative pattern. Graphics were added. The system was developed at Charing Cross Hospital in West London and subsequently marketed nationally and installed in many renal units and in some other specialties as Proton. Remarkable features included the ability to configure the system locally to add new data items and screens. This has enabled this legacy system to remain the most common system in UK renal units even in 2008, more than 25 years after its introduction, despite its ancient interface.
Registries
From 19xx European renal units shared data through the EDTA, but this was a paper-based system and it fell down as the number of units and patients increased.
In 19xx the Scottish Renal Registry began to collect electronic data directly from units and in 19xx the UK renal registry began to do the same. In 2008 there is almost 100% coverage of all units in the UK. This is probably the only renal registry internationally that gathers data directly from clinical information systems. Reports are available from the Renal Registry website.
Patient access to records
The Renal Information Exchange Group, RIXG, established a pilot project in 2004 that made it possible for patients to view their test results and information links specific to their diagnosis online on the Internet. The Renal PatientView project is now UK-wide and available in most renal units.
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