One significant barrier preventing patients from accessing the care they need is the difficulty in contacting their GP practice and securing an appointment. Recent data highlights that the average waiting time for a routine GP appointment is 19 days. This delay not only fosters a backlog but pushes more patients toward seeking urgent appointments, as conditions may deteriorate during the prolonged wait.
A survey carried out earlier this year reveals that around a third of patients encounter challenges in merely making contact with their GP. This translates to millions of individuals each month who struggle with long wait times, unavailable GPs, or intricate online booking systems, all of which might deter them from seeking timely medical advice, potentially leading to conditions worsening.
Patchs online consultation system is designed to address these barriers and eliminate the frustrations typically encountered with traditional appointment scheduling. By integrating user-friendly navigation tools, it enables patients to swiftly submit requests and receive medical advice, bypassing the often cumbersome and time-consuming processes found elsewhere.
Patchs is all about making online consultations smooth and easy, focusing on what patients need most. It allows patients to avoid the lengthy wait times and offers them quick, direct access to healthcare professionals. It does this with features like:
Intuitive Navigation
Patchs online consultation system has a user-friendly design, making it easy for patients to navigate and submit requests.
The Patchs platform guides patients through a series of simple questions whilst allowing them to explain in their own words why they are reaching out. This user-centric approach ensures that patients can access the services they need quickly and efficiently.
Patchs ensures that patients with the most urgent needs are prioritised. Patchs Artificial Intelligence triage is a UKCA marked medical device and is able to understand the nature of requests and direct patients to the most appropriate care.
It can also pick up on the level of urgency using smart AI technology based on the symptoms given by the patient, the system then triages the request accordingly.
Real-time Updates
With Patchs online consultation system, patients no longer need to wait in frustration wondering about the status of their requests. The system provides real-time updates at every stage of the process, from submission to resolution.
This level of transparency and communication ensures that patients are always informed about the progress of their request, eliminating the need for them to chase up with more messages or calls.
Inclusive Communication
Patchs supports translation for over 30 of the most widely spoken languages in the UK, allowing patients to submit their queries in their native language for clear communication. The system then translates these requests for the GP's review. Removing the language barrier encourages patients whose first language isn't English to seek medical help when they might otherwise be reluctant.
For those who are unable or unwilling to access the internet, Patchs also offers a telephone option—the Patchs Telephone Assistant. This allows patients to call their GP practice whilst avoiding long telephone queues. The requests are then transcribed and triaged through the same workflows as other requests.
Medical Advice without Leaving Home
Patchs allows patients to receive medical advice through self-help information, messages, phone calls, or video chats, drastically reducing the need to attend in-person appointments. This is particularly beneficial for those who are physically impaired, have tight schedules, or feel too unwell to leave their homes.
Overall, this approach is more efficient. It saves patients travel time and frees up in-person appointments for issues that cannot be resolved with a brief phone call or by sending a prescription directly to a local pharmacy.
Conclusion
Patchs online consultation system is designed to simplify the process of making enquiries and accessing primary care services, prioritising the needs of the patient and transforming the online consultation experience into a hassle-free one.
Reach out to a member of our team and find out more here.