Xerox and Induction Healthcare have partnered to integrate digital and physical mail capabilities. The collaboration supports NHS England’s Digital First initiative and aims to improve efficiency, security and sustainability in patient communications, while reducing missed appointments and paper usage.
In the past six years, the way that many of us interact with our hospitals and doctors’ surgeries has changed. For most of us, barring older people and those with few digital skills or access to the internet, embracing digital transformation in the NHS has been straightforward.
Through Patient Engagement Portals (PEPs) we have been notified of hospital and doctors’ letters, booked appointments, filled in questionnaires about our health condition(s), received notifications and even asked to review the service we received. PEPs give us the digital access to our health records we have never had before.
There are more collaborations ongoing helping to advance the digitalisation of the NHS. For instance, Xerox has partnered with Induction Healthcare to integrate digital and physical mail capabilities with Induction Healthcare’s PEP for NHS Trusts. Induction Healthcare has been providing the NHS with digital solutions since 2013. The partnership leverages Xerox’s expertise in secure document management.
Collaboration aims
The aim of the Xerox and Induction Healthcare partnership is to improve patient communications and maximise investments in Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems. EPR systems are digital platforms that bring patient information together in one place.
The NHS has been notorious for holding patient records in different places, taking the form of paper notes in filing cabinets to a different digital system for pharmacies, hospitals, walk-in clinics and GP practices – often a person’s digital medical history footprint is anything but centralised. This means the partnership between Xerox and Induction Healthcare is welcomed to help simplify the system for patients.
Enhanced patient communications
The integrated solution offers fast and secure delivery of digital and physical communications. Digital communications are encrypted and delivered the same day, while physical mail arrives rapidly thanks to optimised print and mail workflows. To safeguard the data requires secure handling protocols, stringent encryption and two-factor authentication processes to ensure processes meet NHS data protection standards.
Appointment details and clinical letters will automatically sync from hospital records and populate the patient portals. This efficiency will help NHS Trusts reduce ‘Did Not Attends’ which, according to NHS England, in 2018 cost the NHS almost £1 billion.
“Innovating alongside Induction Healthcare underscores our commitment to advancing the NHS’s digital agenda and improving patient experiences,” says Leigh Gripton, digital transformation lead at Xerox.
Alignment
The collaboration supports NHS England’s Digital First initiative, which mandates PEPs by late 2024, and aligns with NHS sustainability goals by reducing paper usage. This dovetails with Xerox’s net-zero pledge for 2040.
“This partnership allows us to offer a more efficient and eco-friendly patient journey by delivering important communications faster, more reliably and with less paper,” says Tara Scott-Sowter, commercial director at Induction Healthcare.
Moving forward features like QR code self-service appointment management will drive higher digital engagement, making patient interactions smoother and more interactive and providing patients with a better service.
