Patients Know Best
What is Patients Know Best?
Patients Know Best (PKB) gives you secure access to your health record via an online portal.
Once you are signed up, you’ll be able to see your hospital appointment information. In the future, you will see more of your health record such as test results, scan reports and care plans.
All your data is stored securely. You can opt-out at any time and contact us if you have any questions about using the service.
It’s free for all our patients and easy-to-use. Simply log in to the website from your smartphone, tablet or computer.
How do I sign up?
- Patients can sign up here.
- If you don't have an NHS login, you will be prompted to create one via the NHS website.
- Once you are logged in, the Patients Know Best registration page will appear and you will be promoted to create a password.
- After you have completed the form and registered, you can access the portal using the same Patients Know Best web link or through the NHS App.
Benefits
Waiting for a test result? You can now check on Patients Know Best
Patients Know Best allows you to:
- Have better choice and control of your healthcare
- See your record anytime: See all your appointments together in one place and access it wherever you go, at home or abroad.
- Add your data: Add important information about your past medical history or any old clinical documentation so it’s there in one place, when you need it.
- Track your health: Keep a journal, monitor your symptoms and add measurements. Then if something isn’t quite right, you know when to contact your healthcare team.
Contact us
If you have any questions about using Patients Know Best and your data, you can email: bartshealth.pkb@nhs.net.
Will this affect my care?
No, this will not affect the care you already receive from us. Instead, it’s designed to improve your care and experience, help you to be more involved in decisions, get better explanations from us, and give you the tools to manage your care safely at home.
Does this mean I won't receive any letters or texts from my hospital?
No, you will still get communications from us in the normal way. This is just another way to check your hospital appointments and view to your health record.
How your data is used
Did you receive a text message or email inviting you to join Patients Know Best?
If you have had contact with Barts Health NHS Trust in the past 2 years and are over 16 years of age, you may have received a text message or email from ‘Barts NHS’ inviting you to register for Patients Know Best.
What if I do not want to register for Patients Know Best?
You do not need to take any action, simply delete the text message or email.
What do I do if I do not want Patients Know Best to hold any of my records?
Please send us an email bartshealth.pkb@nhs.net and we can de-register you.
Are other organisations across North East London using Patients Know Best?
Yes, Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) are amongst other NHS acute trusts using the service.
More information can be found on https://northeastlondon.icb.nhs.uk/patients-know-best/pkb/
Want to find out more about how your data is used?
To read about how your data is used by the Trust, what your rights and who to contact if you have any concerns, please see www.bartshealth.nhs.uk/privacy.
Is the system secure?
Patients Know Best is compliant with the NHS network, so it’s just as secure as the information your healthcare providers already hold on you. However, it's unique because it also gives you, the patient, access to your information via any web-enabled device. Patient information is encrypted (or coded) and only people who have permission to view your information can do so.
We encrypt data in both transit (i.e. when the information comes in and out) and storage.
Can I have access to my child’s record?
Parents or carers must have their own Patients Know Best account before they can be given permission to access their child's (under 16 years of age) record. Once registered, please contact us so that you can be verified and added to the child's record.
If you have not yet registered, follow the links above to do so using your NHS login.
Can I ask someone else to register on my behalf?
Yes you can ask someone else to register on your behalf, with your consent. However, they should not use their own email account to do this. If you want the family member or carer to have access to your record they can be added in the “sharing” section. This will allow them to set up their own account and allow you to control the level of access they have to your record.
What if I don’t have an NHS login?
If you do not have an existing NHS login, don’t worry. You will be prompted to create one after entering your email from the NHS login sign in page.
If you do not have the NHS App, you can download it here.
What does PKB look like?
Here's an example of what you'll see after you've registered:
Who do I contact for issues with using PKB?
For any technical web issues, please contact the Patients Know Best team at help@patientsknowbest.com. This is not linked to Barts Health NHS Trust, so please do not share any personal or clinical information in this email.
For any other issues or questions about your data, you can contact our own team at bartshealth.pkb@nhs.net.