North West London Integrated Care Service is planning to roll out a patient portal using the DrDoctor platform.
The move is part of the ICS’s digital strategy for the coordination of currently fragmented care and improve the way providers communicate with patients.
It also responds to the NHS England requirement for non-specialist acute trusts to have a portal in place by 2023-24.
The solution will be used by four trusts in the region – Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Hillingdon Hospitals, London North West University Healthcare and Imperial College Healthcare – standardising the way they engage with patients.
Chelsea and Westminster has been using the DrDoctor portal since 2019 with over 75% of its patients now choosing the approach for interactions with the trust. The other three trusts are expected to be using it by the end of next year.
Specific needs
Robbie Cline, chief information officer at Hillingdon Hospitals and London North West, said: “The ICS has very specific needs when it comes to delivering services to patients, centred around making experiences of care consistent throughout the ICS. We have been encouraged by feedback from Chelsea and Westminster, especially the patient uptake and how well the system interoperates with other technologies, such as the Cerner EPR.
“By giving patients the option to engage and request a slot that is convenient, they are far more likely to turn up. This helps us make best use of our capacity by minimising ‘did not attend’ rates, which means we can plan our workforce much more effectively, even at short notice.”
The portal will enable the trusts to reallocate appointments and validate waiting lists through tools such as digital patient initiated follow-ups and clinical questionnaires.
DrDoctor said it is expected to reduce waiting lists by up to 35% across the ICS.
As part of the contract, the company is also providing video conferencing for virtual consultations, replacing a system introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
