Healthy ambitions
Orange has launched the second of its services for the UK healthcare sector called the Orange Health Gateway, which is designed to boost communication between hospitals, doctors' surgeries and pharmacies.
The initiative uses mobile communications to improve patient services and increase efficiency through two-way ‘message modules,' according to the company.
Orange said: "The Orange Health Gateway can help every healthcare organisation get messages to patients and employees quickly and easily, whether to remind them of upcoming appointments, improve the communication of test results, speed up the resourcing of replacement nurses or improve patient adherence to medication."
The apps are available through a secure web environment and as a series of modules that can be selected to meet specific needs.
For example, Orange said the ‘Appointment Reminders' module lets organisations send appointment reminders to patients plus manage cancellations, which could cut wasted appointment slots by 38 percent. The company estimates the tool could save the NHS around £300m a year as missed appointments account for a wasted £790 annually.
Extra messaging modules from the scheme can also let healthcare providers send and track routine medical results to patients, distribute emergency contact messages to employees in case of an incident, plus send and receive employee messages to help with effective resourcing.
Michael Lawrence, head of corporate propositions at Orange UK, said: "Orange Health Gateway offers the healthcare sector the opportunity to improve patient services and deliver real saving by capitalising on the everyday use of mobile. It enables healthcare providers to make better use of time and resources at a time when efficiency gains are front of mind."
"As well as helping to provide excellent patient care through shorter waiting lists and quicker updates, healthcare organisations can also transform their entire communications system, proving that technology and partnerships can enable real change. With minimal management commitments combined with maximum efficiency and cost savings, Orange Health Gateway will ease the lives of patients and professionals cross the healthcare sector," he added.
The Gateway is not Orange's first foray into the UK healthcare sector. It launched a service called smartnumbers in July, designed to cut the time it takes to contact healthcare professionals by giving callers instant access to the best person or team available.
