Somerset Cancer Register and PKB
The Somerset Cancer Register (SCR) Remote Monitoring System (RMS) integrates with Patients Know Best (PKB), providing a patient portal as part of the RMS offering.
The integration enables patients, carers, and healthcare teams to access a shared digital cancer record, supporting more coordinated care and remote monitoring.
Through the PKB portal, cancer teams can provide patients with access to key clinical information and approved resources.
Overview of the Integration
The SCR RMS uses a native integration to transfer data directly into the PKB patient portal, allowing patients to view their cancer-specific information alongside other health records they may hold in PKB.
How it Works
Clinician opt-in: Data sharing is initiated when a clinician opts a patient into PKB within RMS.
Historic data: On first opt-in, all existing data held in RMS is automatically uploaded to PKB.
This ensures continuity of information and removes the need for repeated manual processes.
Patient Access and Features
Patients access their records via the PKB portal, which is accessible via the NHS App. The record is patient-owned and can be shared at their discretion with others involved in their care.
Core Features
Clinical data access: Diagnoses, laboratory results, and radiology reports
Appointments: Diary view of upcoming engagements
Resource library: Team-approved links, videos, and patient information
Patient-entered data: Symptoms, measurements (e.g. weight, blood pressure), medications and medical history
This supports patient engagement and self-management while maintaining clinical oversight.
Care Plans and Questionnaires
Cancer teams can use PKB functionality to support structured care and remote monitoring:
Digital care plans: Shareable and editable plans outlining treatment and care
Consent and pathways: Pre- and post-treatment information and digital consent
Questionnaires: Collection of patient-reported outcomes and holistic needs assessments
Integration Requirements
Whitelisting: Standard HL7 whitelisting via the Trust integration/IT team
No bespoke configuration is required beyond existing HL7 protocols
Patient Registration
If an email address is recorded in SCR, an automated invitation is sent to patients
Additional communication and onboarding processes are managed by the Trust
Benefits for Clinical Teams
Creation of a personalised digital record for each patient
Customisable follow-up workflows aligned to clinical pathways
Ability to monitor results against thresholds for safe remote management
Real-time visibility of investigation data within SCR
Worklist functionality to support caseload management
Reduced duplicate data entry through interoperability
Control over when information is first published to the patient portal
Benefits for Patients
Access to a single, digital cancer record
Ability to share information with carers and other professionals
Visibility of test results and reports without needing to contact teams
Appointment tracking via a diary view
Tools to track symptoms and measurements
Access to trusted, team-approved information resources
Integration Workflow
PKB: Sandbox Credentials are issued for the SCR Sandbox environment.
SCR: Configures their outbound feed to target the PKB Sandbox.
The Trust: logs into a PKB Test Account to verify that a "Test Patient" created in SCR appears correctly in PKB.
The Trust: Verification that edits in SCR (e.g., a change in address or a new lab result) trigger a real-time update in PKB.
The Trust: A clinical lead from the Trust signs a "Test Completion Note" confirming the data is accurate for patient care.
The Trust: Provides their static Production IPs;
PKB: Adds the static Production IPs to the allow-list.
PKB and SCR: Generate and securely share Production API credentials.
SCR: Updates their endpoint URL from Sandbox to Production.
SCR and the Trust: Send one "dummy" or "pro-vetted" patient record from SCR to PKB Production to ensure the pipe is open.
The Trust: Logs into the production patient record in PKB to ensure data appears as expected.
Clinicians can begin opting patients into receiving their data in PKB
Key Points
A single clinician opt-in enables both historic and future data sharing
No additional action is required after initial opt-in
Integration uses standard HL7 processes, with no bespoke setup
Patient onboarding depends on available contact details and Trust processes
Further Information
A use case story from East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust: Implementing virtual reviews to support prostate cancer patients
Further information on RMS and implementation is available here