Keywords:
eHealth, Computer applications, Management, PACS, Computer Applications-General, Socio-economic issues, Economics, Education and training
Authors:
S. Barnard, S. Jamieson, T. Popham, F. Ngwenya, R. Malto, L. Maher; Auckland/NZ
DOI:
10.26044/ranzcr2019/R-0009
Purpose
This project aimed to:
1) Improve the experience of patients in interventional radiology through better information and preparation.
2) Reduce the number of appointments lost through patients not attending, or which were cancelled at short notice/abandoned.
In 2017 6% of interventional radiology procedures at our institution did not go forward because the patient did not attend (DNA). Eight percent of procedures were cancelled for a number of reasons including that some of the patients had not completed the required preparation for interventional procedures and 2% of procedures which were started were abandoned.
Our intention was to improve the delivery of relevant information to patients regarding their radiology appointments by redesigning our appointment letters and utilising the functionality of smartphones but within the constraints of our current information systems and appropriate to the needs and resources of our population.