Two hospitals in the Midlands, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and South Warwickshire University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, are trying out a new AI-based scheduling tool called DM Schedules. This tool, created by software company Deep Medical, helps to lower missed appointments and cut down waiting lists.
Starting in April 2024, volunteers have been using DM Schedules to contact patients likely to miss their appointments. They either help these patients reschedule or offer support like arranging transport or having someone greet them at the hospital.
DM Schedules uses AI to look at anonymized patient data and predict who might miss their appointment. It then sends personalized reminders to those patients. The tool also creates a backup system to fill cancelled slots with patients from the waiting list.
Early results in July 2024 show a 33% increase in attendance and a 28.8% reduction in missed appointments (DNAs) at the two hospitals.
Jenni Northcote, the Chief Strategy, Improvement, and Partnership Officer at George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, said, “Our volunteers use smart data to contact people who might miss their appointments and help them overcome any barriers. We have seen a great drop in missed appointments and learned a lot about the challenges people face.”
The volunteers working on this project were recruited through Helpforce, an organization that specializes in developing volunteer services for the health sector. Helpforce’s CEO, Mark Lever, said, “With the help of Deep Medical’s AI tool, volunteers can better target calls and further reduce missed appointments.”
Benyamin Deldar, co-founder of Deep Medical, said, “Our AI helps address key issues like the cost of hospital parking, limited access to rideshare apps, communication difficulties, and busy schedules, ensuring patients can get the care they need.”
Deep Medical is also testing this tool in 10 other integrated care systems in England and plans to expand it to 10 more NHS trusts after a six-month trial at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.
Source: digitalhealth
