Prevent type 2 opt-out code use in EMIS Web

Guidance published 7 March 2019

Type 2 codes have been inactivated by EMIS. (Users were told this in the EMIS Web code updates on 8 January 2019.)  They no longer appear in the EMIS Web code picking list when searching by code or term and cannot be entered into a patient’s medical record via Add a Code.

However, the codes could still be used if they have been included in a template, so you must check your templates to remove these codes and prevent their use.

From the main menu, select Configuration and Template Manager (or Resource Publisher).

Highlight the template you want to review on the list, and use the Print button drop-down to select Template.

This will open the Template Preview screen. You can then use ‘Ctrl-F’ and enter each code in turn to search the template and see if either 9Nu4 or 9Nu5 is present.

If you find the codes in any templates, you should edit them to remove them.

You should also review templates within Library Items, and other data entry tools such as Protocols.

Use the EMIS search function to check for any patients with code 9Nu4 added after 11 October 2018. Select the Population Reporting tab, click ‘Add’ and select ‘Search’.

Add ‘Rules’ using the ‘Feature Builder’ to include criteria for Clinical Code, Order and Date Criteria. 

You can schedule this search to happen on a regular basis, until you are confident that invalid codes are no longer being used.

If results are found, review the patient record(s) to check that the code was added after 11 October 2018. (Sometimes the search will pick up entries added as part of a GP2GP transfer to a new practice, when in fact the code was added to the patient record some time ago.)

If you find code 9Nu4 has been added to a patient's record after 11 October 2018, you must contact the patient to:

• explain that the opt-out choice was recorded by the practice in error
• tell them they can set a national data opt-out choice themselves by visiting www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters
• explain that their confidential patient information may still be used for research and planning purposes until they set the choice themselves

Further details and a template for a patient letter were provided in our letter to GP practices in October 2018.

For further information or queries about EMIS Web functionality please contact the EMIS Support team.

Download a printable copy of this guidance to  prevent type 2 opt out code use in EMIS Web