EMIS Spotlight ISSUE 4 DIGITAL 2

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The technology is powerful. It is currently the identification of cohorts previously deemed unreachable to help support NHS England’s drive to eliminate Hepatitis C.” Dr Ian Wood - GP and clinical director for EMIS

Spring 2024

Empowering primary care with technology Supported by sharing agreements, Pathway uses clinical intelligence to enable healthcare teams to identify cohorts of at-risk patients for intervention – or in this example, anyone yet to receive the HPV vaccination – and enables them to securely share relevant health information with whoever has responsibility and capacity to act on it. The technology is powerful. It is currently the identification of cohorts previously deemed unreachable to help support NHS England’s drive to eliminate Hepatitis C. Pathway could also identify vaccination trends and themes to improve uptake. Using this insight to tackle health inequalities would be key - for example cervical cancer incidence rates in England are 65% higher in the most deprived quintile. Furthermore, according to the National Institute of Health, ’stigmas that associate the HPV vaccine with sexual activity and promiscuity are prevalent among parents of vaccine-eligible children and are associated with lower intentions to vaccinate one’s child’. Primary care’s role couldn’t be more vital here, supporting the opportunity to explore vaccination with clinicians they are more familiar with. Down the line it can also provide a second chance as the child grows into adulthood to reduce their risk of cervical cancer - something they may not even be aware was decided for them as a child. Rarely are we given an opportunity to so greatly reduce the risk of a cancer. Bringing together the data and the technology offers a chance to make a huge impact to the lives of many. We must grab this opportunity with both hands.