Patient UK
_logo,_Jun_2015.jpg) |
|
|
Type of site
|
Medicine and Health |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Owner | Egton Medical Information Systems |
| Slogan(s) | Trusted medical information and support |
| Website | patient |
| Launched | 22 April 1997 |
| Current status | Active (18 million unique users per month as of 2015) |
Patient is an online resource providing information on health, lifestyle, disease and other medical related topics. The website's aim is to provide members of the public with up-to-date information on health related topics in the form of comprehensive leaflets (which can be read online or printed), blogs, wellbeing advice and videos. Leaflets are compiled by qualified medical practitioners with several years of experience in the medical profession. In 2013, the site appeared in a "Top 50 websites" feature published in The Times.
Patient was first launched in 1996 as a directory of UK websites providing health related information, and was originally operated by Patient Information Publications (PIP), a company established by two medical professionals Dr Tim Kenny and his wife, Dr Beverley Kenny. In December 2002 PIP joined forces with Egton Medical Information Systems (EMIS) to relaunch the site as an information providing service. The content of Patient was extensively revised and updated, its aim being to offer interested parties a reliable and comprehensive source of health and disease information. In April 2008, EMIS acquired PIP's share of Patient, but the company's partners remain involved as consultant editors and lead authors. EMIS has integrated the content with its Electronic health record systems so that patients accessing their own records can go directly to advice and information about their condition.
In February 2012, the Patient site underwent a relaunch and re-brand; most notably a mobile approach and a close connection with Dr Sarah Jarvis as the site's Clinical Consultant, blogging for and appearing on behalf of the site.
As of January 2013, the site contains a wide range of health information tools including 4,000 health information leaflets, a wellbeing centre, a free health check, and thousands of discussion forums. It is accredited by The Information Standard, NHS England’s quality mark and was listed as ‘The top health website you can’t live without’ by The Times newspaper.
In September 2013, Patient launched its local service, enabling professionals and patients to access health information in their local area as well as heat maps delineating popular search terms in the locality. It was launched with the intention that the service could help alert CCGs and individual GP surgeries to potential localised health outbreaks that could impact on surgery enquiries. Plans are also in development for the 'trends box' feature to be made available for GPs to host on their own surgery websites as an additional patient information service.
...
Wikipedia