The NHS Care Record Service (NHS CRS): recommendations from the literature on successful implementation and adoption

Cresswell, Kathrin BA MSc
Sheikh, Aziz BSc MBBS MSc MD DCH DRCOG FRCGP FRCP

Research Associate
Professor of Primary Care Research and Development
Centre for Population Health Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

FUNDING

This paper is based on a systematic review of the IT literature funded by the NHS CFH Evaluation Programme (NHS CFHEP 001).

CONTRIBUTORS AND SOURCES

AS is guarantor. This paper is built on a chapter written by the authors as part of a systematic review of the literature examining the impact of IT on the quality and safety of health care. AS conceived the idea for this paper and contributed to interpreting the evidence and drafting the manuscript. KC identified and reviewed the literature and led the drafting of this paper.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The authors are currently funded to undertake an evaluation of the NHS CRS (NHS CFHEP 005), data coding and structuring (NHS CFHEP 009) and the impact of IT on the clinician–patient relationship (NHS CFHEP 010).

ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE

Aziz Sheikh, Centre for Population Health Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 20 West Richmond Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9DX, Scotland, Email: [email protected]

Accepted September 2009

Informatics in Primary Care 17(3):p 153-160, 2009.

The implementation of the National Health Service’s Care Record Service (NHS CRS) is the most ambitious information technology innovation ever undertaken in healthcare. This electronic health record system represents the key component of the National Programme for Information Technology. Its implementation is however proving extremely challenging. Building on a recent systematic review of the eHealth literature, we critically reflect on factors that can facilitate the implementation of the NHS CRS and suggest recommendations for a way forward to facilitate implementation efforts.