|
In Finland and Germany, SMS-based Pre-Call services
improve the efficiency of hospital appointment booking and encourage
the patients' involvement in accessing healthcare. In the North Karelia Central Hospital
(PKKS) in Finland, a SMS-based Pre-Call Request service has reduced the
cancelled appointments rate by 20 %, a percentage equivalent to the
annual workload of nine nurses who are now able to focus on delivering
patient care. More precisely, according to preliminary results, the new
process saves about 10-15 % of the working hours per nurse who are
dealing with booking appointments at the otorhinolaryngology clinic.
Similarly, at the paediatric outpatient clinic, the SMS Pre-Call system
has significantly reduced the number of phone calls by a third and
phone calls regarding rescheduling by over 60 %.
The specialist in the development of this service stated: "Our SMS
services contribute to making sure that healthcare professionals cope
at work - and at the same time they can improve patient services.
Increased efficiency in hospitals is a significant factor as well. When
SMS services boost efficiency by 17 %, €100 becomes €117."
When a hospital is using the SMS Pre-Call Request service, each
patient is requested about the suitability of the appointment date
before booking the appointment or sending an invitation letter. Via the
SMS-service, the hospital makes sure that the offered appointment date
is suitable for the patient and thus reduces the need to reschedule
appointments.
As far as patients' benefits are concerned, the SMS services enable
them to take responsibility for their own access to care and make the
appointment booking process more patient-oriented. This service eases
the daily routines of healthcare professionals, improves organisational
productivity and customer
service and speeds up access to care.
Finnish public healthcare organisations have been running SMS-based
citizen services for several years. An interactive SMS solution has
also been launched in Germany. The German service does not only support
appointment confirmation and patient reminder processes, it also finds
and reaches a suitable patient to replace a cancelled appointment.
|
