Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCHT) have become the first Trust in the entire country to roll out a technology that gives their patients the ability to choose when they attend their appointments.
The technology allows NHS patients to utilise “advanced scheduling” to change their appointments via an online portal. The platform integrates with the Trust’s patient administration system to provide patients with eight appointment times to choose from if they want to change and book a different time.
The launch follows a successful pilot across CLCHT’s non urgent podiatry services last November and will now be rolled out across even more services this summer, including musculoskeletal clinics this month.
Andrew Chronias, Chief Information Officer at CLCHT, said: “[The service] is an easy yet innovative way to improve the quality of care our patients receive. The new digital pathway gives patients control of their healthcare, allowing them to reschedule appointments for a time that suits them.
“At CLCHT we have a strong focus for digital technology to act as an enabler to improve our clinical systems. The platform reduces the time spent on admin tasks and answering calls, giving staff the ability to spend more time with other patients, supporting those with complex needs and to tackle the growing waiting lists. The impact [the service] has had so far is paving the way for CLCHT’s digital transformation across different services.”
The innovative new method is a convenient and fast way for patients to manage and oversee their appointments, ultimately circumventing the often-laborious task of phoning up and being put on hold.
By giving patients the ability to manger their own care pathways, health professionals empower their patients thus improving patient satisfaction.
Appointments slots also then open up to other patients, subsequently reducing the financial costs associated with missed appointments.
The platform also gives people instant access to healthcare letters, further reducing financial and environmental costs linked to mail.
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