To enhance our consent process and meet national standards for obtaining patient consent, we have adopted a new digital consent platform by Concentric Health.
This platform supports patients in making informed decisions about their treatment across several specialties.
How the process works
Data is entered into the Concentric digital consent application by a doctor or other appropriately qualified healthcare professional to share information with the patient about their proposed treatments or procedures. They modify the consent information to meet the needs of the individual patient and then either share it with the patient immediately or send it to them via e-mail or SMS text message to review later.
After reviewing the information provided, the patient can document their consent to the proposed treatment or ask their healthcare professional for further information.
How will I be contacted by Concentric Health?
You may receive genuine communication from your clinician via Concentric Health, either as an email from notifications
You can see the information any time before or after treatment. This service is free to our patients and does not incur a cost.
What technology do I need to be able to give my consent online?
Concentric works on any modern web-enabled device and on different screen sizes such as mobiles, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Apple, Safari, or Mozilla Firefox web browsers are fully supported by Concentric.
I’ve received an email or text but can’t access the link provided
The most common reason is when the communication is for a family member who we have your mobile phone number or email address for (e.g. a child) you need to use their date of birth to verify and not your own. Try this first. If you still can't log in with your details, please contact the relevant bookings team. Contact details are found on our Outpatient bookings page.
What if I have a question about the planned treatment or procedure?
You will always have a conversation about your proposed treatment or procedure with the clinician responsible for your care, although you may receive consent information online.
The information you receive from Concentric will include relevant hospital contact details in case you have any follow-up questions.
Where is my data stored?
Concentric Health uses Google Cloud Platform (GCP) for all hosting and data processing, within a data centre in the UK. GCP is compliant with all healthcare information governance requirements.
Once the consent process is completed, a PDF version of the consent form is automatically transferred into our trust’s electronic patient record systems.
How is my data protected?
All data is protected following industry best practice regarding access controls and encryption. Our trust manages clinician’s access and password strength rules are enforced. Patients are sent an email with a unique link and enter their date of birth to verify their identity. All data is stored using leading encryption methods and is transferred securely.
What data is collected and processed?
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) defines different types of data (key definitions of types of data).
Concentric uses ‘personal data’ which is data that can be used to directly identify someone and ‘special category data’ which is sensitive data that usually requires more protection.
The following personal data is processed:
Title, given name, family name, date of birth, gender, patient identification number (e.g. NHS number), mobile phone number, and email address. This data is required for clinical safety purposes, as (except for email address) it needs to be displayed on-screen during all clinical interactions. It is best practice to share consent information with patients, and therefore an email address and mobile phone number are stored to allow communication of the consent process.
The following special category data, i.e. data relating to health, is also processed:
Name of treatment, indication and purpose of treatment, alternatives and risks discussed, and name and job title of clinicians who have been involved in providing care. This information is required as it is documented on the consent form.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), organisations can only process personal data if there is a lawful basis for doing so. Where Concentric is used, Isle of Wight NHS Trust is the data controller, and Concentric Health is the data processor.
The legal basis for processing is that of ‘direct care.’ Healthcare organisations have a requirement to receive and record procedural consent as part of providing care. The contract between the healthcare organisation and Concentric Health to deliver a digital consent platform provides Concentric Health’s ‘direct care’ legal basis for processing.
What your data will be used for
Your data will only ever be used by Isle of Wight NHS Trust to manage the consent process as part of your treatment. It will not be used for any other purposes, such as research, unless we contact you and specifically ask for permission to do so.
Concentric Health is a UK based company with headquarters in Cardiff, Wales.
Concentric Health Ltd (Registration number: 10733991).
Concentric Health, Sbarc Spark, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
You can find out more information on the Concentric website and Concentric Patients FAQs.
