obvious that the information wasn't getting through to some
patients, so Cincinnati Children's decided to invest in an automat-
ed text message system that integrated with the hospital's elec-
tronic medical records.
Families can opt to receive the texts when they visit sur-
geons in the clinic. Patients receive the texts the evening
before surgery. The messages include NPO reminders, the
arrival time on the day of surgery, the estimated time of sur-
gery and directions to the campus location where the surgery
will be performed.
Officials at Cincinnati Children's estimate that the text
reminders have reduced lost OR time by 37%, which has let the
hospital recapture an estimated $20,000 a week — about $1 mil-
lion a year — in lost revenue.
"The advantage of using automated texts is primarily that they
are persistent reminders," says Jayant "Nick" Pratap, MA, MB
BChir, MRCPCH, FRCA, an associate professor of anesthesia and
pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's. "The information remains
available on patients' cell phones, unlike instructions from a
phone call, which persist only if patients write them down."
Online registration
Patients who schedule procedures at Boston Out-Patient
Surgical Suites in Waltham, Mass., are asked to pre-register
through an online portal, which lets them answer a series of pre-
admission questions at their own pace and on their own time.
Patients are informed that they won't be booked for surgery
until they've registered online and completed the questionnaire.
"You need to make sure they answer the questions as soon as
possible, but they can do it at their own convenience," says Greg
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