Text reminders for out-patient appointments in Hywel Dda
Hywel Dda Health Board is testing a new text messaging reminder service to help tackle the problem of people not attending outpatient appointments.
On average 24,000 appointments are lost year – that’s 6 per cent of total activity – because patients failed to attend appointments which had been arranged for them.
Each appointment slot missed not only means that it costs the hospital money in terms of the time the medical staff loose, but more importantly, it means that the slot cannot be offered to another patient.
The text messaging service will be used to remind patients of their outpatient appointment, with consent being sought from the patient when they initially phone to book their appointment.
Patients will be given the opportunity to request their reminder messages in either Welsh or English.
Two text messages will be sent out – the first five days before the appointment and again 24-hours before the appointment.
The text messages will not contain confidential information and a sample message is
Your appointment is at [name Hospital] on [day] at [time]. Please call [number] or text CANCEL only if you cannot attend.
Director of Planning, Performance and Delivery Mark Brandraeth said: “The main benefit of this service is better use of outpatient appointments as patients will be reminded to attend and, should they choose to cancel the appointment, sufficient time is given for it to be reallocated to another patient.”
The text message service is currently being tested and is expected to be rolled out across the Health Board by May.
Medical Director Dr Sue Fish said: “This service will hopefully ensure that precious appointments are not lost and that we make the best use of our clinicians time for the benefit of our patients. It will hopefully provide a really useful service to individual patients as well.”
On average 24,000 appointments are lost year – that’s 6 per cent of total activity – because patients failed to attend appointments which had been arranged for them.
Each appointment slot missed not only means that it costs the hospital money in terms of the time the medical staff loose, but more importantly, it means that the slot cannot be offered to another patient.
The text messaging service will be used to remind patients of their outpatient appointment, with consent being sought from the patient when they initially phone to book their appointment.
Patients will be given the opportunity to request their reminder messages in either Welsh or English.
Two text messages will be sent out – the first five days before the appointment and again 24-hours before the appointment.
The text messages will not contain confidential information and a sample message is
Your appointment is at [name Hospital] on [day] at [time]. Please call [number] or text CANCEL only if you cannot attend.
Director of Planning, Performance and Delivery Mark Brandraeth said: “The main benefit of this service is better use of outpatient appointments as patients will be reminded to attend and, should they choose to cancel the appointment, sufficient time is given for it to be reallocated to another patient.”
The text message service is currently being tested and is expected to be rolled out across the Health Board by May.
Medical Director Dr Sue Fish said: “This service will hopefully ensure that precious appointments are not lost and that we make the best use of our clinicians time for the benefit of our patients. It will hopefully provide a really useful service to individual patients as well.”
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