Voice messaging introduced to remind patients of appointments

4 March 2008. A new system of automated voice messaging will be introduced in March to remind patients of their hospital appointments by a phone call. East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust has appointed a specialist voice messaging company, Biomni Voice Ltd, to provide the new technology. Patients will benefit from a reminder call seven days before a new out patient appointment in all specialties.

The automated call uses a human voice to remind patients of the date and time of their appointment, and invites them to confirm attendance using their keypad. If a patient no longer needs, or can’t make, the appointment the system alerts the Appointments Team at the Trust, thus allowing the appointment slot to be offered to other patients on the waiting list.

Katharine Horner, Outpatients and Booking Manager, said, “Statistics show that, on average, one in seven outpatients fail to turn up to appointments across Eastbourne, Hastings and Bexhill Hospitals. This means that time is being wasted for other patients who could be seen at those times. It also means that £65 is lost with every patient that fails to attend which adds up to a loss of around £2 million each year for the Trust.”

Studies have shown that two thirds of patients simply forget their appointment and a quarter feel better and choose not to attend. An earlier trail at the Trust using similar technology showed a significant improvement in attendance rates. Over the period of the trial fifty-four patients rearranged a more convenient time for their appointment and forty-seven cancelled their appointments thus increasing capacity for other patients. Had these patients simply not attended their appointment the financial impact on the Trust would have been in the region of £6,500.

Missed appointments lead to longer waiting times for patients, and the introduction of the new reminder service should encourage better patient compliance and reduce waiting lists. Katherine said “It is all done with patient confidentiality in mind and the recipient of the call is asked to confirm their identity as the intended patient. If not the system can hold until the patient comes to the phone or alternatively call back later. All calls are made during the evening, when more people are at home. There is no cost to the patient”

The Biomni Voice service is more effective, and will cost less to operate, than sending written reminders. Crucially, the new service provides immediate feedback to the Trust of the patient’s intentions, something which written reminders cannot provide.

East Sussex Hospitals Trust has an on-going strategy for improving patient services and the introduction of this technology is a significant part of that strategy