The development of an electronic, palliative care, coordination system

Effective coordination of care, sharing of information and partnership working are principles that define high-quality, end-oflife care. Technology is now being adapted to support these principles in order to improve, and put individual patients at the centre of, care at the end of life. The concept of an electronic, palliative care, coordination system (EPCCS), also known as a ‘locality register’, has been considered a potentially useful tool for improving endof- life care in England for several years. The system is effectively a register, that holds key information about individuals nearing the end of life, thus helping the multidisciplinary team to coordinate care effectively. Information includes details of diagnosis and people’s preferences for end-of-life care (Table 1). Individual records are accessible by a wide range of professionals and agencies involved in the patient’s care throughout the 24-hour period.