Case Study: Transforming a Rural Practice
Since adopting Emmy, the incessant ringing of phones in the doctor's office has ceased, allowing her to concentrate on her work without interruptions. Additionally, she no longer requires the services of an additional nurse for one day each week, whose sole responsibility was to handle phone calls.
Dr. Karla Hladíková is an experienced general practitioner with fourteen years of practice. She operates in the Olomouc Region and manages three practices: one in Potštát and two others in the villages of Olšovec and Partutovice. The combined total of registered patients across the three locations is 1,920.
Podívejte se, jak Emmy pomáhá v ordinaci praktické lékařky.
„Pacienti jsou z Emmy nadšení a já na jedno kliknutí přeobjednám celé odpoledne.“
MUDr. Jana navrátilová
Dr. Hladíková explains "I have three surgeries in a small town and the surrounding villages. Over half of my patients are over fifty years old, and they quickly adapted to the change, utilizing Emmy to send 80% of their requests.
So I am no longer interrupted by constant phone calls, enabling me to focus on the patient in front of me without the risk of making errors due to distractions.”
Dr. Karla Hladíková
General Practitioner in Olšovec andPotštát
Like other practitioners, Dr. Karla Hladíková experienced exhaustion during the COVID-19 pandemic. While she typically saw an average of 54 patients per day, the numbers surged to as high as 100 patients per day during the pandemic. She recalls, "It was terrible; my nurse and I reached a point where we couldn't handle it anymore." Previously, telephone communication served as the primary tool in her office since the doctor did not possess a work email. Family and acquaintances often resorted to contacting her through private email, WhatsApp, or text messages. Patients would even resort to knocking on the office windows,located on the ground floor of the buildings, to communicate their needs. The influx of patients was particularly overwhelming after the weekends, leading the doctor to hire an additional nurse for Mondays, whose sole role was to handle phone calls.
Dr. Hladíková explains the process, saying, "The nurse's job was solely to answer calls. She would reassure the patient that we would address their request to their satisfaction, note down their number, and inform them that we would call back later, though possibly not until the late afternoon." Although the nurse handled most of the calls, the doctor struggled to find time for her own work.
She elaborates, "I would be examining a patient, and the nurse would enter with another patient on the phone, calling about things like blood sample results, appointment scheduling, or requesting medical documentation. The workload and constant phone calls reached a point where I feared making mistakes."
Podívejte se, jak Emmy pomáhá v ordinaci praktické lékařky.
„Pacienti jsou z Emmy nadšení a já na jedno kliknutí přeobjednám celé odpoledne.“
MUDr. Jana navrátilová
When Dr. Karla Hladíková first heard about Emmy, the virtual nurse solution that automates routine doctor-patient communication, she felt intrigued. "I immediately wanted to have Emmy. I knew it was our only chance to managethis challenging period in health care without losing our minds," the doctor laughs. After witnessing a software demo during an online meeting, she was convinced that Emmy was the right solution. Consequently, she promptly arranged for Emmy's implementation the following day, with a quick and seamless setup.
"I recall it was a Thursday, a day when I don't have appointments until the afternoon. In the morning, they set up Emmy for me, and I drafted an informative text for our website. In the message, I explained how Emmy would help us cope with the workload and asked all patients under 60 for their assistance during this difficult time. I requested them to register and start using Emmy. In the afternoon, I opened the practice and began working with Emmy immediately," says the doctor.
We requested everyone who called to help us and encouraged them to register with Emmy.We explained to the nurse that it wasn't an obligation but a request for cooperation.
The nurse in Dr. Karla Hladíková's office possessed basic computer skills but referred to herself as a computer novice. Dr. Hladíková eased her into using Emmy, saying, "I introduced her to Emmy when she arrived for work in the afternoon, explaining how it functions. Initially,she was apprehensive about making mistakes, but she quickly became accustomed to it and recognized its benefits."
The simplicity of the controls became evident when Dr. Hladíková left her sister, a 70-year-old doctor, to manage the office during a vacation. Her sister learned to navigate Emmy through hands-on experience.
After six months of implementation, approximately 80% of the rural practice's request snow come through Emmy. Dr. Hladíková remarks, "More than half of my patients are over fifty, and they have adapted well to Emmy. For instance, I recently received a request from a seventy-one-year-old patient." Emmy is even user-friendly for older patients. Family members who are proficient in using Emmy often assist elderly patients. Patients can easily request prescriptions through the software.
Dr. Hladíková recalls encountering only one negative reaction towards Emmy, regardless of patient age. Initially, the person refused to use Emmy and expressed the desire to register elsewhere. However, they ultimately decided to continue using Emmy and did not seek another doctor.
Podívejte se, jak Emmy pomáhá v ordinaci praktické lékařky.
„Pacienti jsou z Emmy nadšení a já na jedno kliknutí přeobjednám celé odpoledne.“
MUDr. Jana navrátilová
Thanks to Emmy, the phone no longer rings incessantly in the practice allowing Dr. Hladíková to concentrate on her work. She explains, "When a patient calls, I must respond immediately. However, when they communicate through Emmy, I have time to review their medical history, study their test results, and carefully consider the best course of action. This is a significant advantage for me." Dr. Hladíková also repeatedly advises patients that Emmy is not meant for urgent or acute conditions, encouraging them to directly call the doctor's office in such cases.
Dr. Hladíková mentions, "Sometimes, if a request through Emmy is unclear or requires a personal meeting, I call the patient." Emmy also brings her peace of mind. She recalls, "During the pandemic, things were extremely challenging. By 2 p.m., my sister and I were completely exhausted. However, after having coffee, we would sit down at the computer and address the Emmy requests one by one. It was a relief not having to speak with anyone, whether in person or on the phone, and being able to calmly resolve everything."
The practice also utilizes Emmy's appointment scheduling function. When a patient sends a request, the doctor evaluates whether a personal visit is necessary and makes the appointment available for booking by the patient.
"Before COVID-19, I used to have twenty people waiting in the reception area. Now, I schedule appointments every fifteen minutes, ensuring a maximum of three patients in the waiting room. People appreciate not having to wait for hours, and I wouldn't want to return to the old system. Patients are satisfied with an empty waiting room and gladly make appointments for specific times."
Dr. Hladíková appreciates the feature in Emmy that allows her to inform patients about the current office hours. If she is going on vacation, for example, she enters the information into the software in advance. When patients attempt to send a request, they can see when the office will be closed and where they can seek treatment in urgent cases. This eliminates the need for patients to call the municipal office to inquire about the situation when nobody answers the phone at the doctor's office.
Furthermore, if someone sends a request during a vacation, Emmy sends an automatic response, sparing them from waiting for a same-day response as they had to do previously.
Dr. Hladíková also values the ability to access the communication history within Emmy. She says, "I've encountered situations where a patient claimed I told them something different from what I actually said. By simply opening Emmy and reviewing the history, the issue was resolved."
Podívejte se, jak Emmy pomáhá v ordinaci praktické lékařky.
„Pacienti jsou z Emmy nadšení a já na jedno kliknutí přeobjednám celé odpoledne.“
MUDr. Jana navrátilová
Throughout the period of use, Dr. Hladíková only needed to seek advice from Emmy's customer support twice. She remarks, "When I reached out to customer support, I received a response within a few hours. On one urgent occasion, I called, and they promptly returned my call."
She only noticed one technical problem, which was related to the internet. The office experienced a day-long internet outage, rendering them unable to address Emmy requests and lacking access to the appointment calendar. Temporarily, they had to resort to using paper and phone-based systems.
"Unfortunately, these days, I can't function without the internet. I can't issue electronic sicknotes or prescriptions. That's why I plan to arrange a backup internet source to prepare for potential outages."
In addition to providing peace of mind, Emmy also saves Dr. Hladíková time. She says, "Thanks to Emmy, I save one to two hours every day. Previously, when a patient called, I would jot down their symptoms on paper, explain the next steps or therapy, and later transcribe the notes into the computer. I would issue electronic sick notes and then call the patient to inform them that it was taken care of. Now, people write everything to me through Emmy, and I simply copy it into the patient record. Once I issue a sick note or address another request, I inform the patient about it through Emmy."
Dr. Hladíková concludes, "I am highly satisfied with Emmy. It saves me a significant amount of time and energy, allowing me to have peace of mind at work."
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