If you’re seeking urgent treatment the computer will see you now...

PATIENTS attending Loughborough Hospital for urgent treatment are to be given priority based on a computer programme.

People showing up at the hospital’s urgent treatment centre (UTC) will use an eTriage system where they answer questions at a computer kiosk.

Their answers to those questions will then be used by the computer to decide which patients are most in need of care and which could just as easily go to a pharmacy instead.

The centre, run by DHU Healthcare, is introducing the system later in the spring and it will be the first of its kind in the region.

The five eTriage kiosks will ask questions set by doctors and the system will be able to quickly identify the patients most in need of treatment, even asking follow-up questions based on earlier answers.

The intention is to speed up the time it takes to complete an assessment, reduce queues for the reception staff and “improve the patient experience”.

DHU Healthcare said Loughborough UTC saw a high number of walkin patients every day and that the eTriage system was just part of wider plans to relieve pressure on the unit through “more efficient streamlining of patients and prioritisation of the more serious cases”.

Adele Peck, clinical service lead for DHU Healthcare based at Loughborough UTC, said: “It really is an excellent system that will improve and streamline the booking-in and triage process for patients.

“The way our main entrance is structured means that at peak times we can see patients queueing out of the door.

“But being able to effectively book in and triage patients - five at once in a short space of time - will greatly reduce that risk and improve the experience for patients.

“The process is straightforward and alongside the standard questions such as name, age and date of birth, patients will systematically be asked questions about their general health, medical history, specific symptoms and how and when they became apparent.

“The questions and follow-up questions based on those responses have been specifically designed and phrased by A&E clinicians to follow a logical pathway and include certain responses that will alert our clinicians to escalate immediately.”

Kiosks will have privacy screens to protect patients’ confidentiality.

There will be a kiosk for people in wheelchairs and a receptionist to answer any queries, concerns and support with the check-in process.

Once the process is complete, the patient will be asked to take a seat and wait in the reception area for treatment or, in some cases, be referred to a more appropriate place if their condition is not urgent or if they need transporting to hospital.

As well as speeding up the checking-in process, the digital system means all the patients’ details are logged on the system.

It is hoped that will reduce the chances of errors because patients are inputting the information themselves.

Sophie Frearson, clinical operation lead at eConsult Health, which is installing the kiosks, said: “These kiosks will ensure the patient gets the right treatment more quickly, even if that advice is simply reassurance that a visit to the pharmacist or self-care is the most appropriate.

“It is all part of system-wide efforts to make sure all patients and health providers are making the best use of NHS resources to direct patients to the most appropriate place to treat their needs.”

These kiosks will ensure the patient gets the right treatment more quickly

Sophie Frearson