Workflower Notification Center: more options for even more flexibility
With the Workflower Notification Center, you can send all kinds of case-specific messages: to the desired target group (patients, suppliers, employees or referrers), at the most appropriate time, via the most appropriate channel (SMS, e-mail, etc.), and with the desired information. One typical example is appointment reminders, but clearly there are many other situations in which a tool like the Notification Center could be useful.
In this article, you will read more about the rich configuration possibilities and the latest features of the Workflower Notification Center. New features include the ability to send messages in multiple languages, and to vary them depending on the situation: for an out-of-hours MRI examination, you could provide the patient with different instructions than for a daytime appointment.
What makes the Workflower Notification Center so suitable for appointment confirmations?
Set up the Notification Center – by yourself or with the help of Amaron – to confirm appointments, and provide your patients with all the information they need. You thus reduce the number of no-shows, and make sure your patients arrive for appointments well-informed.
- For each appointment, you can send several messages, each at a specific moment.
For example, you can send a first confirmation when the appointment is made, a reminder a few days before the appointment, and a third message with specific information the day before. You decide when the messages are sent. If a patient changes or cancels an appointment, they receive a confirmation message. - You can include a specific departmental or research-related message in each reminder.
You can inform patients about specific requirements like ‘no eating or drinking’ before a certain examination, or how long in advance they should arrive in the department. If they need to fill in a pre-surgical questionnaire, you can send them a dedicated message. - The message can vary depending on the time of the examination.
For appointments taking place outside of hours, such as an MRI examination at night, you can provide instructions on how to access the department at that time. - You can send messages in the recipient’s language.
The choice of language is automatically detected based on the language indicated for the patient in the HIS. - The system provides feedback and helps prevent errors.
The Notification Center’s reporting capabilities provide you with useful overviews. Among other things, you can see in the reports which messages have not been delivered, for example because the mobile phone numbers are not known.
Should an error occur during processing, perhaps because an unexpectedly large number of messages are being sent and a certain threshold has been exceeded, you will be notified and can intervene quickly. - Overview lists support correct billing.
Using the built-in statistics, you also know how many SMS have been sent per discipline, and can re-invoice the monthly cost to the relevant department.
What else can the Workflower Notification Center be used for?
The Notification Center has no limits, and can be configured to automate every conceivable scenario – whatever your message, for whichever audience.
Some possibilities:
- Communication with patients:
An example: patients scheduled for surgery receive an e-mail request to fill in an online pre-operative questionnaire. In parallel, they receive a text message with the PIN code they need to access the questionnaire. - Laboratories:
When abnormal values are detected, a notification is sent to the requesting doctor to make contact urgently. - Preboarding doctors/staff:
They receive an SMS or e-mail that they need to submit certain documents or complete a specific task. - Suppliers, volunteers and other external people:
If they need to access certain hospital systems, they are sent a password via text message and receive related information via another channel, such as e-mail; etc. - GPs:
The Notification Center is also a suitable tool for communicating with GPs. They can receive messages letting them know that a multidisciplinary team meeting has been scheduled for one of their patients, along with instructions for participation (if needed). - Outstanding payments:
The solution can send automated reminders for outstanding payments. - Etc.
Which communication channels are supported?
While the Notification Center is mainly used in combination with SMS messages, you can also use it to send e-mails, to deliver secure messages to doctors (e.g., via eHealthBox in Belgium), or to distribute messages internally via the DECT system.
WhatsApp can also be used. For example, sending messages in a crisis situation: through an open conversation, you can keep each other better informed of measures and actions.
Who is already using the Workflower Notification Center?
Belgian hospitals AZ Sint-Lucas (Ghent), AZ Alma (Eeklo), AZ Vesalius (Tongeren), Jan Yperman (Ieper) and Vitaz (Sint-Niklaas) have already chosen to adopt the Workflower Notification Center. They were won over by the solution’s flexibility and wide applicability.
Some are finding creative ways to use the Notification Center, as well. AZ Alma, for example, sends messages to the patients’ dedicated contact persons, letting them know that their family member or partner is back in their room after surgery. This saves the hospital quite a few phone calls. For this use case, the Notification Center is used in combination with the Workflow Initiator: when the patient transfer from the recovery unit to the room is registered, the process is set in motion and a text message is sent to the contact person.
There is no shortage of ideas: in fact, AZ Alma is already working on a sixth use case.
Can my hospital use the Workflower Notification Center?
Any hospital can use the Workflower Notification Center to send automated notifications to a wide variety of audiences.
“You can choose to proceed incrementally, starting with one specific use case. Or, if you already have several use cases in mind, it may make sense to get the comprehensive Notification Center right away. Those who have mastered Workflower a little can configure the messages themselves. If you don’t yet have that know-how, or if your department is short-staffed, we will gladly provide you with the necessary support and/or training,” says Frederik Lenaerts, Head of Sales & Business Development at Amaron.
“Furthermore, and we cannot repeat it often enough: the Notification Center is not an island. Like all Workflower applications, it works in perfect harmony with your healthcare institution’s other information systems. We ensure that information flows seamlessly from one system to another: this is perhaps our greatest strength,” Frederik concludes.
