Taking time to understand the patient journey is helpful in designing access to GP digital services.
The patient journey is the entire sequence of events that begins when the patient first develops clinical care need and engages with your organisation.
The journey follows the patient’s steps as they navigate your practice operational system, from initial appoitment scheduling to treatment to continuous care.
Create an end-to-end flow chart that shows the patient pathways – an exercise which in itself can lead to efficiency improvement opportunities being identified.
Mapping the patient journey
List the ways that patients contact the practice
Capture the most common health conditions that don’t need a clinical intervention
Identify other organisations, sectors and roles that can support PCN/practice goals
Understand what happens when things don’t go to plan
Analyse feedback themes related to service access
Confirm the appointments management process
Are changes needed to the patient journey?
Does the organisation understand the end-to-end patient experience?
Does patient feedback suggest that the patient experience is reasonable?
Is the offer simple, straightforward and engaging?
Is every opportunity to use every non-GP/practice resource being taken/offered?
Patient engagement
Before enacting anything new, it is important to ensure service change is lawful, informed by the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), NHS inequality requirements and involves patients and the public.
In particular, the Health and Social Care Act 2012 makes it clear that commissioning and provider bodies have a duty to involve patients and the public in the planning and delivery of NHS services. This sets a higher level of interaction with these groups than ‘engagement’.
It is important to think about and ask the following:
What do patients feel they need to engage with the practice?
What do patients think about the organisations plans?
Do patients feel their views will be listened to and considered?
Are patients involved in the design and testing of services?
Does the practice understand the requirements of patients with additional needs?
Operational tips to maximise patient choice
Use telephone for urgent, same day care and welcome face-to-face appointment avoidance
Use the NHS app for repeat prescriptions and progress tracking
Use online consultations for non-urgent care
Welcome SMS when it confirms action, prevents unnecessary inbound contact and encourages proactive action when it is due
Accept the role of social media as an information-giving service
Minimise letter use, recognising delivery lag and cost to the NHS
Be comfortable with and appropriate mix of telephone, online and face-to-face responses
Use a sensible amount of targeted and proactive communication that enables preventative care, such as smear, vaccination and health check reminders
