Mr. Paweł is a father of two daughters. He says his children don’t get sick often, but when they do, the biggest problem is scheduling a doctor's appointment at the clinic.
Will the Doctor See My Child?
“She starts work at 8 AM. I started calling a bit earlier. I’ve never managed to get through quickly. If I’m lucky, I manage it on the 10th or 20th try,” he explains. And adds that when it works, it feels like a success.
If he doesn’t get through quickly, there are no more appointments with the pediatrician. Then he has to go in person in the afternoon and ask, "Will the doctor see my child?"
“But the biggest problems are with registering at the hospital outpatient clinic. My record is 1 hour and 43 minutes on the phone waiting for a connection,” he adds.
Mr. Paweł is just one of millions of patients who, day after day, often unsuccessfully, try to get a doctor’s appointment. Each story is unique, often hiding personal dramas. Now this is set to change.
First, an Electronic Central Registration System Must Be Created
The Ministry of Health wants to make it possible to register for a doctor's appointment online. This will be done through the Internet Patient Account (IKP), a system that was already used for COVID-19 vaccinations.
However, for this to happen, a central system must first be created—namely, the Electronic Central Registration System. Currently, each clinic and hospital has its own registration system. These changes are included in the draft amendment to the Act on Health Care Services Financed from Public Funds and the Act on the Health Information System.
It’s worth noting that this is not the Ministry of Health’s first attempt at such a revolution. Last summer, there was a pilot program for e-registration, but only for selected services. It was for appointments with cardiologists and specialized tests like MRI and CT scans.
Data Won’t Enter Itself into the System
The bezprawnik.pl service assesses that the Electronic Central Registration System will be revolutionary for both patients and healthcare system employees.
“For healthcare facilities themselves, central registration could theoretically streamline their work. The teleinformatics system of the Electronic Central Registration would perform part of the work that today must be done by employees of individual clinics and hospitals. On the other hand, someone needs to enter data about work schedules at individual facilities into the system,” it reads.
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