OUH expanding use of DrDoctor to improve appointment management
09/02/2024
Following the successful Trust-wide implementation of DrDoctor, a digital outpatient appointment booking tool, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) is now piloting an innovative feature within the DrDoctor platform that enables patients to easily cancel or reschedule their outpatient appointments digitally.
Starting in the Urology department, the pilot will pave the way for a trust-wide rollout to optimise appointment cancellation and rescheduling processes. The rollout plan will be phased and carried out in consultation with teams in the relevant departments.
By enabling patients to reschedule online, this will release booking team capacity to assist patients who would prefer to change their appointments over the phone or other means.
DrDoctor at OUH in numbers
OUH partnered with DrDoctor in 2020 to enable patients to view their appointment letters online which has led to over £600,000 of savings in postage costs, and a remarkable reduction in delivery time from approximately 7 days to less than 1 minute.
During 2023, over a million letters were uploaded to the DrDoctor platform, with 87% of patients choosing to read these outpatient letters online. This is among the highest digital engagement of any Trust in the country.
Since implementation, patients have also been able to register their phone number with the Trust for alerts and reminder notifications.
In July 2023, OUH also started using the reminders service provided by DrDoctor for outpatient appointments, and between July 2023 and January 2024 over 712,000 appointment reminders were sent to patients.
Successful deployment of DrDoctor for the OUH Vaccination Programme resulted in over 107,102 appointments booked, and substantial administrative cost savings.
David Walliker, Chief Digital and Partnerships Officer at OUH, said: "This further shift towards digital appointment management not only contributes to operational efficiency, but also underscores our commitment to healthcare innovation, sustainability, efficiency, and patient-centric healthcare – as well as our 'Digital by Default' approach.
"Innovations like this contribute to OUH's low 'Did Not Attend' (DNA) rate – we are ranked the best among the Shelford Group and are in the highest percentile nationally. By providing various options for appointment communication, we're making sure that patients can choose the method that best suits their preferences and needs."
Tom Whicher, Founder and CEO of DrDoctor added: "It's encouraging to work with Trusts like OUH that engage with digital transformations. Our relationship with the hospital has been focused on saving resources to improve the quality of patient care through innovation, and this latest function will further the success of a project well underway. This sheds hope on a future where the rest of the NHS works to improve efficiency and encourage a system of hybrid healthcare."