InterSystems announce that support for the UK NHS Interoperability ToolKit (ITK) is now included free of charge in InterSystems Ensemble®. NHS end users and application developers can use Ensemble as a ‘plug and play’ ITK solution to fast-track them towards full ITK compliance. Ensemble, a seamless platform for integration and the development of connectable applications, is used by more than 40 English NHS Trusts, and is the national choice for NHS Scotland.
ITK compliance reduces the cost of integration, increases the flexibility of Trusts’ IT infrastructure and removes the barriers to implementing innovative solutions that connect applications, appliances, and devices. The sharing of information between care settings in Hospitals, GPs and Communities, and the creation of end-to-end connected processes will be greatly assisted by the successful adoption of the ITK by NHS users and their software suppliers.
InterSystems gained the first official accreditation for its ITK implementation from the NICA technology office in September 2010 and now provides a complete implementation of the ITK 1.0.0 specification. The Ensemble ITK has been proven in a range of clinical settings for example for patient self-service and the reduction in ‘Did Not Attends’ using appointment reminder systems.
Existing Ensemble customers can upgrade Ensemble to enable them to connect to ITK compliant solutions, and importantly, this can bring ITK compliance to legacy application estates. Trusts have already started to build their own Ensemble ITK solutions which include the distribution of clinical documents.
Jonathan Selby, InterSystems UK Country Manager, added: “InterSystems’ decision to include the ITK as part of its standard Ensemble product underlines our commitment to the NHS ‘Connect All’ strategy. This should help to jump-start ITK adoption for end users and software suppliers in the English NHS, and refocus integration effort towards delivering better patient care.”