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Related Experiment Videos

An effective electronic surgical referral system.

Jessica Dennison1, Sarah Eisen, Matthew Towers

  • 1Department of Surgery, Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK.

Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
|October 25, 2006
PubMed
Summary
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Electronic surgical referral systems improve efficiency by enabling same-day appointment booking and increasing patient attendance rates. This enhances the overall patient experience in outpatient services.

Area of Science:

  • Health Informatics
  • Surgical Services Management
  • Patient Flow Optimization

Background:

  • The implementation of electronic outpatient appointment booking systems, such as 'Choose and Book' in England, aims to streamline healthcare access.
  • A local electronic surgical referral service was established and operated prior to the national rollout.
  • This study evaluates the impact of this early electronic referral system on key performance indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the effect of an electronic surgical referral service on patient waiting times.
  • To determine the impact of electronic referrals on patient attendance rates compared to traditional paper-based methods.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 54 patients referred via an electronic system and 189 patients referred via paper to a colorectal surgical service.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Data collected over a defined period to analyze referral and appointment processes.

    • Main Results:

    • Electronic referrals predominantly resulted in same-day appointment booking, contrasting with an average 7-day delay for paper referrals.
    • No significant difference was observed in the total time from referral to clinical consultation between electronic and paper referral groups.
    • Patients using the electronic referral system demonstrated significantly higher attendance rates for their appointments.

    Conclusions:

    • Electronic surgical referral systems can enhance operational efficiency within outpatient services.
    • Improved patient choice regarding appointment scheduling may contribute to increased efficiency and attendance.
    • The findings support the adoption of electronic referral systems for optimizing surgical service delivery.