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Brigstock Medical Practice

Category: 2.4. Appointment reminder systems

Brigstock Medical Practice

Croydon is the most heavily populated London borough. Many patients of the area’s Brigstock Medical Practice were failing to turn up for medical appointments. The practice was logging 90 DNAs per week. This wasted surgery hours, cost the practice money and prevented other patients from getting appointments. Doctors therefore wanted to find a way to remind people politely when they were due at the surgery. This would save time and money and improve access for 1,500 registered patients.So in January 2008, Brigstock installed MJog, a fully automated appointments reminder system. This uses text messaging technology. It started as a pilot, and within a few months the number of missed appointments had reduced by a third.

The practice says that older patients, who may not have mobile phones, tend not to miss appointments. It’s the mobile-phone-friendly generation of patients who tend not to show, which makes the text reminder system particularly effective in reducing DNAs. ‘The number of DNAs per week fell to 60. So you’re talking about 30 more appointments for doctors or nurses,’ comments Dipti Gandhi, a partner at Brigstock. ‘In terms of access, it’s a huge thing for us. The feedback we’ve had shows that patients are very pleased with the service.’

MJog, manufactured by Soft Options Technologies and partnered with EMIS, looks through a practice’s database for upcoming appointments. It can look up to seven days ahead, but the practice can tailor the notice period to 24, 48 hours or longer. MJog then sends a text to the patient’s mobile phone. The practice now wants to take advantage of MJog’s additional services. This includes a ‘healthcare campaign manager’ that allows the practice to send messages to mobile phones.

These highlight anti-smoking or flu jab campaigns, for example. The recipient lists can be customised for every message sent, as can the content. Patients, for example, can be reminded not to eat before clinical appointments if that is a requirement.

Benefits

  • DNAs fell by a third within months.
  • Patients are more likely to meet their appointments.
  • The system saves surgery hours and therefore money.
  • It increases patient satisfaction.
  • The service encourages practices to keep their patients’ details up to date.
  • It can be used for health campaigns, targeting particular groups of patients who would be most likely to benefit.

Tips

  • Ensure you have up-to-date records of patients or the system won’t work. This requires an investment of administrative time, as patients’ mobile phone numbers can change regularly.
  • Put processes in place to keep patients’ contact details up to date on an ongoing basis.
  • Spread the word to your patients through publicity campaigns, so they volunteer their mobile phone numbers.

 

Contact

Dipti Gandhi
dipti.gandhi@gp-h83017.nhs.uk

 

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