Improve Focus on the needs of patients in the community
Patients should be able to access diagnostic services quicker and closer to their home, with some services potentially being delivered in patients' own homes using remote monitoring diagnostic technology.
The design of diagnostic services in the community needs to be mindful that the patient journey is usually initiated in primary care. Part of the design should focus on enhancing diagnostic capacity in primary care and tailoring the relationship between CDCs and GP practices to local contexts.
CDCs should also draw upon local knowledge to make services more patient centred. This includes identifying suitable geographical locations to ensure that CDCs are accessible and that they are from a patient's perspective in more convenient locations than their next acute site.
What the data said: Design considerations for meeting the needs of patients in the community
Did Not Attend (DNA) refers to cases in which the patient did not notify the clinic or hospital in advance of his/her unavailability to attend on the offered admission date or appointment.
“[DNA management] needs to be more information exchange, [patients] need to be able to say something about psychosocial issues but can't be done in this efficiency-driven system. [Patients] need caring admin support, helping patients to navigate their way through the system. It needs a good administration team. Not only understanding the patient but pathways.”