RIXG - the Renal Information Exchange Group

The Renal Information Exchange Group (RIXG) was founded in 2003 to review opportunities to capitalise on advances in IT in order to improve services to patients. It includes representatives from the entire renal community, chaired by Professor John Feehally.

RIXG members come from:

Patients and patient organizations

• National Kidney Federation
• Kidney Research UK (formerly the NKRF)

Professional medical bodies

• British Association of Paediatric Nephrology
• Renal Associations (UK, Scottish, Welsh)
• British Transplantation Society

The broader multidisciplinary team

• British Renal Society

Registries

• UK Transplant
• Renal Association Renal Registry
• Scottish Renal Registry

Department of Health support/representation

• Department of Health (England)
• NHS Scotland and ISD
• Welsh Assembly Government

The renal community in the UK has a history of developing its own IT systems in advance of other areas of healthcare. In the UK and in Europe nephrologists established registries for pooling and comparative audit of results long before this became an objective for other specialities. See Archive page for 2006 report on functionality of existing renal IT systems.

RIXG identified several desirable future aims, but placed highest priority on providing online individualized and up-to-date information for patients and for healthcare professionals – electronic Care Plans. The renal community is in an advantageous position to be able to do this because of its existing IT use, and RIXG is uniquely able to facilitate it, because of the broad range of its representation and the interests of its membership.

In April 2004 RIXG approved a feasibility project for this vision, Renal PatientView. This enables patients to view their results, diagnosis, and relevant information links online.

RIXG meets regularly to discuss these and other initiatives relating to information distribution. It is formally an advisory body to the Renal Information Strategy Implementation Group (DoH).

More about the Renal NSF, Information Strategy and related activities on the Renal Association's Clinical Service page.

Minutes and documents