If you have a long-term or complex health condition, your GP may create a Key Information Summary (KIS) for you. This is a digital summary of your most important health information, designed to help clinicians make the best decisions during an emergency or when your regular GP surgery is closed.
What is included in a KIS?
Your KIS record is designed to give a “snapshot” of your care requirements. It typically includes:
- Relevant Medical History: A summary of your long-term conditions and significant past illnesses.
- Care & Management Plans: Details of any existing care plans or self-management strategies you have in place.
- Involved Agencies: A list of the different health and social care teams currently supporting you.
- Your Preferences: Your wishes regarding treatment arrangements and where you would prefer to receive care.
- End-of-Life Care: Important information such as your resuscitation status or an Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment (ADRT).
How is your KIS shared?
The information in your KIS is highly secure. While the record is held at this GP Practice, it can be shared with other authorised Health and Social Care (HSC) professionals (such as Out-of-Hours doctors or hospital staff) through the Northern Ireland Electronic Care Record (NIECR).
- Your Consent: Your GP will always ask for your consent before sharing your Key Information Summary to the NIECR.
- Privacy: Only those directly involved in your clinical care will be able to view this summary.
Why is a KIS important?
Having a KIS ensures that if you are treated by a doctor or nurse who doesn’t know you—for example, in an Emergency Department—they will immediately have access to your medical background and your personal wishes for your treatment.