FHIR-Powered Patient-Centric Health Record Management: A UK Case Study
FHIR Impact Showcase: Health Samurai and Patients Know Best
Summary
Patients Know Best and Health Samurai have developed a system using FHIR technology that enables patients in the UK to access and manage their own health records. This allows healthcare professionals to gain a more comprehensive understanding of patient conditions, supporting better self-care and reducing pressure on healthcare services.
Details
This article details a collaborative project between Patients Know Best (PKB) and Health Samurai. PKB operates one of the largest FHIR-based Personal Health Record (PHR) systems, integrating data from over 550 health organizations and providers in the UK, including GPs, hospitals, and connecting with the NHS App. The system unifies various types of information—from appointments and letters to test results and care plans—into a single patient record. In the UK alone, the platform serves approximately 4.7 million patients and processes over 20 million test results monthly. The initiative was presented at DevDays 2025, described as the world's largest FHIR-only event. By giving patients control over their records, they can securely view, share, and even add data themselves. This empowers healthcare professionals with a clearer picture of the patient’s health status. Health Samurai supports the development of FHIR-native solutions on top of the Aidbox FHIR Platform. This platform has become the backbone for over 100 solutions globally (e.g., specialty EHRs, telemedicine). The collaboration demonstrates a patient-focused model aimed at promoting self-care and alleviating strain on healthcare services by providing unified access to up-to-date health information anytime, anywhere.
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