Pathways to interoperable electronic patient records in health and social care, Part 2: introduction for commissioners, chief clinical information officers and senior medical and social care leaders involved in health IT commissioning and strategy.

Since the start of the 2020 Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, new models of care have rapidly emerged in both health and social care in the UK. The sharing of structured and unstructured data across care organisations has become increasingly important, especially in transfer of care situations and other services, such as hospital at home. At the same time synchronous and asynchronous communication between professionals, patients and their carers, which integrates with patients' records, is optimising care pathways, improving access to care and enhancing self-management of care, particularly for people with long-term conditions. Interoperability and integration of healthcare records is a complex undertaking with various technical, regulatory and organisational challenges. It requires a long-term commitment, collaboration, and investment for all stakeholders to create a comprehensive, interoperable health and social care information ecosystem across the UK. Engaged understanding of these building blocks by clinical and social care leaders will help ensure today's solutions do not become tomorrow's problems.