What is an information standard and why do we need one?
High quality health and social care services depend on good information. The right person having the right information at the right time can make all the difference to the quality and experience of care for an individual and their family and carers.
An information standard describes a way of managing information to improve data quality and allows consistent recording of data. National information standards are important to the delivery of care, especially where information is to be shared.
The Information Standards Board approves information standards for the NHS and adult social care in England.
Why do we need an end of life information standard?
Staff from a variety of health and social care organisations are involved in end of life care, and they all need information about the person and their end of life care preferences and wishes. Without access to shared, consistent information there is real risk that a person’s choices will not be taken into account.
Local organisations involved in end of life care often have different procedures in place for sharing information. In some areas, information is recorded and shared using EPaCCS (previously known as locality registers), as recommended in the End of Life Care Strategy.
The national information standard – End of Life Care Co-ordination: Core Content – specifies the key information that is needed to provide high-quality co-ordinated care, and provides structures and definitions to support effective holding and use of this data.
Implementation of the standard, which will primarily be through EPaCCS, will support consistent, safe and reliable recording and communication of people’s preferences and choices for end of life care. This will support health and social care agencies to deliver high quality coordinated end of life care and will enable more people to die in the place of their choosing and with their preferred care package.
Back to top