Healthcare IT
Providing secure capability for patients to use health apps A key focus of the Long Term Plan is empowering people to take control of their own health care - creating a safe and secure means of accessing their health information is critical to that, says Melissa Ruscoe, head of the NHS login programme at NHS Digital One of the main barriers to patients making the best use of digital health services available to them is the challenge in accessing them, such as having to prove your identity in person or memorising multiple passwords. NHS login is a single, secure login that enables the public to access health and social care apps and websites wherever they see the NHS login button. It means that people no longer have to remember many different passwords – if their device allows it, they can even use device biometrics (for example fingerprint) to login and see their personal information. With nearly 600,000 people having already created an NHS login, a figure that is rapidly rising each week, it’s clear it has massive potential to transform the health and social care sector. NHS login will help reduce administrative burden for GP practices - most patients can verify their identity online themselves without
the user that has signed up for them. The concept is very similar to logging in with Google or Facebook but requires the user to prove their identity even more securely because of the often-sensitive nature of the healthcare data or service they wish to access. Before we created our product we tested and researched the user need with the public, and the message was clear: ‘I trust the NHS and if I have to do this to securely access a healthcare app, I want an NHS solution’. So, we set out to produce an NHS-branded identity solution Proving identity with NHS login that included the key controls of likeness and NHS login enables people to be matched to liveness checks to prevent masquerading. their healthcare records and gives We also needed to incorporate the integrating applications existing patient online capability the confidence that the What is to avoid users having to identify connections they make themselves twice if they’ve to healthcare data exciting so already gone through this stores and services a b out NHS log process at their GP practice. E are definitely for in the need to visit their GP surgery. Once created, it can be used for health and care apps and websites where you see the NHS login button. What’s more, because NHS login was made by the NHS, people can trust it - they can also trust we will only use necessary data. Using official photo ID such as a passport or driving licence, plus a likeness and liveness check, a patient can easily prove their identity so they can be matched to information personal to them.
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Issue 20.2 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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