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MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has taken steps to enhance the outpatient appointment scheduling and managing. Now for referrals from private facilities, patients can upload the referral through the Nesma'ak Patient Portal on the HMC website.
Once the referral is uploaded the HMC booking management team will register the referral schedule the appointment according to availability and clinical guidelines ensuring that the patient receives a suitable date and time. Once the appointment is scheduled the patient will be informed through a SMS, HMC said on the X platform.
However, electronic referrals from the Primary Health Care Corporation are directly sent to HMC and processed automatically.
To change or cancel appointments patients are encouraged to call Nesma'ak hotline 16060 which available 24x7.
“With HMC's new appointment and referral system, our doctors assess your healthcare needs and make sure you are scheduled with the right doctor at the right time. This system now in operation across our network of hospitals,” HMC said on its website.
According to the HMC's April activity report 208,688 outpatient appointments were recorded across the network of hospitals. Also Nesma'ak has recorded 109, 939 incoming and out coming calls.
Further the Center for Patient Experience and Staff Engagement (CPESE) at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) introduced a set of system changes to Referral and Booking Management System (RBMS) in 2022 and patients are now seeing tangible improvements throughout as a result of the changes.
The effort to improve the appointment booking system encompasses all facets, from referrals to scheduling, incorporating e-triage and enhancing patient access to healthcare services. This guarantees a more efficient and seamless experience for everyone involved. Consequently, there has been a notable surge in the number of patients receiving their initial appointments within a seven-day timeframe following referral.
According to HMC figures rose from 3,315 in February 2022 to 10,723 in January 2024, an increase of 224%. A significant decrease is recorded in the number of patients with pending referrals, dropping from 93,109 in October 2022 to 27,754 in January 2024, representing a 70% reduction.
Also a 25% reduction is seen in the referral-to-seen wait time for new patients, between January 2022 and March 2024.
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