Sheffield Children’s NHS FT is due to trial a digital portal for young patients and their parents, using technology from Netcall.
The trust will introduce a new ‘Patient Hub’ in an effort to ease the pressures of appointment management. Parents will be able to confirm, rebook or cancel hospital outpatient appointments, providing access to many clinical specialities.
The portal builds on previous initiatives from the trust, where parents receive reminders by SMS or email. It will also be a place for parents to access additional appointment information, leaflets and communications.
Dan Gibb, Business Change Lead, Sheffield Children’s NHS FT said: “Our aim is to make it easier for parents and carers to focus on their children. The Patient Hub opens up new digital services, too; for example, our exciting new Pre-Op service – which enables guardians to supply vital information to physicians ahead of surgery.”
“Using the questionnaire functionality, parents can address important queries from home, where all the right information is to hand. This tool provides an alternative method to answering questions relating to care before a procedure and aims to reduce stress around administration before coming into the hospital.”
“We expect that this new service will further increase the patient experience and bring benefits to the Trust. Instead of waiting weeks for parents to respond to a letter, with Patient Hub, we will know if the child is able to attend their appointment almost immediately.”
“If parents need to reschedule, this opens up a free space for another child and reduces their waiting time. In addition, with the implementation of the portal, the Trust will see a reduction in its paper and postage costs. We are looking forward to going live in 2020.”
Mark Holmes, Chief Sales Offices at Netcall, adds: “Not only will the portal make life easier for Sheffield Children’s parents, but it will also reduce the admin and cost burden on the hospital. It is one of a number of Trusts working with Netcall, which is already experiencing up to a 40% reduction in Did Not Attends (DNAs).”
