Healthcode has long advocated a sector-wide e-booking service to bring access to private healthcare into the 21st century, so we were pleased when Bupa’s CEO echoed this call at LaingBuisson’s Private Acute Healthcare Conference earlier this month.
In his presentation, Alex Perry looked at the challenges PMI providers currently face, warning that the sector must be more vocal in championing its contribution to the UK’s health. But at the same time it had to focus on delivering affordable, high quality treatment and great customer service, including the introduction of online appointment booking.
The truth is that private healthcare is still arranged for the convenience of consultants and hospitals, while patients are obliged to take on all the legwork and phone calls themselves. We need to adjust to the patient as a consumer who is accustomed to convenient, online services such as Uber, OpenTable and Skyscanner.
And yet, the foundations have already been laid for an e-booking service for the independent healthcare sector. As specialists in online technology, Healthcode is developing a web-based central portal that would be open for business 24 hours a day. Referrers could log on securely, search a database of private providers and make an appointment through the integrated hospital (or hospital group), practitioner and insurer booking system. The process is secure, efficient and it will transform patients’ experience of private healthcare
Healthcode’s electronic billing and secure messaging services proves that we can successfully connect different stakeholders, helping us all work more efficiently. And earlier this year we launched The Private Practice Register, a central online register of private practitioners which has the potential to be expanded into a searchable directory of services.
But while we have the technology, online booking cannot be a solo venture: everyone in the industry has to work together on matters such as system integration and data. Alex Perry’s speech was a healthy reminder that the private health sector makes a valuable contribution but we cannot afford to be complacent. Now it’s time for insurers and hospital providers to get on board and make it a success.