Making better use of technology and available services can improve patient communications and experience of care, support efficient use of clinical and administrative time, and deliver cost savings.
Reviewing the trust’s postal services is one such opportunity, and it may also be a helpful prompt to further consider the effectiveness of patient communications. For example:
- Is the trust working with patients and communities to identify ways of improving engagement?
- Digital exclusion exacerbates health inequalities – where else is there a risk of digital exclusion?
- Are there other health inequalities which could be reduced by reviewing patient communications?
- How could patient communications be made more accessible through health literacy approaches?
- Does the trust know its patients’ communication preferences and needs, and how this impacts their ability to engage with health services?
Resources
- NHS Providers’ Digital Boards development programme.
- NHS England’s Inclusive digital healthcare: a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion.