Text reminders trial underway at Waikato DHB

Monday, 16 July 2012, 3:58 pm
Press Release: Waikato DHB

Text reminders trial underway at Waikato DHB

When Waikato Hospital booking clerks’ team leader Tracy Henderson clicked the send button on her new text messaging account at 9.15am today, 217 people around the Waikato had instant text reminders of their clinic appointments at the hospital on Wednesday.

It’s the latest initiative to lower did not attend clinic rates which cost Waikato DHB more than $1.6 million annually.

While text reminders are commonplace for things like hair appointments, the logistics of introducing it in Waikato DHB where there are more than 106,000 outpatient attendances every year, meant the project needed good planning and execution.

Waikato DHB utilised New Zealand company Dialhog to introduce the text reminders.

Dialhog has extensive experience in the New Zealand public health sector and already supplies texting services to Counties Manukau, Waitemata, Bay of Plenty, Capital and Coast, Taranaki and Southern DHBs. In addition BreastScreen services in Auckland, Waitemata, Northland, Counties Manukau, Midland, Coast to Coast and Southern also use the email-based technology.

Director Chris Lewis today said when Counties Manukau implemented text reminders, did not attends reduced by 20 per cent.

“We also surveyed patients on their acceptance of the text messaging as a way of communication. The response was overwhelmingly favourable with 99 per cent reporting high satisfaction,” he said.

Earlier this year when Waikato DHB ran an information evening for the public to give feedback on their experience of attending outpatient clinics, text message reminders was top of the list.

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Jo-Anne Deane, assistant group manager for ambulatory care and external liaison is leading the planning for the September move of most Waikato Hospital clinics into the $130 million Meade Clinical Centre.

“The session looked specifically at customer service within an outpatients’ setting so we can understand what is important to our patients when they attend clinic appointments,” she said.

Running parallel with the project, booking clerks have changed their processes to proactively update outpatient information. That includes asking them about text messaging options.

“The 217 texts we sent today represented only 36 per cent of the appointments we have at Waikato Hospital on Wednesday,” said Ms Henderson.

“So from now on we’ll be printing out patient details and asking them to update them while they wait.”

About Waikato District Health Board and Health Waikato:

Waikato DHB is responsible for planning, funding and providing quality health and disability support services for the 372,865 people living in the Waikato DHB region. It has an annual turnover of $1.2 billion and employs more than 6000 people.

Health Waikato is the DHB’s main provider of hospital and health services with an annual budget of more than $701 million and 5238 staff. It has six groups across five hospital sites, three primary birthing units, two continuing care facilities and 20 community bases offering a comprehensive range of primary, secondary and tertiary health services.

A wide range of independent providers deliver other Waikato DHB-funded health services - including primary health, pharmacies and community laboratories.

www.waikatodhb.health.nz

ENDS

Waikato District Health Board

Healthy People. Excellent Care

Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.