Choose and Book
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Choose and Book (also known as CaB), is the name of a software application which is being introduced to the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS). It is designed to enable patients to choose which hospital they are referred to by their general practitioner (GP), and to book a convenient date and time for their appointment.
Originally designed simply as an electronic booking system, Choose and Book was developed to enable patient choice. This application is being introduced into the NHS in 2005.
It was procured as part of the National Programme for IT in 2003. The contract was awarded to Schlumberger Limited's Sema division just before its acquisition by Atos Origin. The software is based on Cerner Corporation's 'Millennium' e-Booking software.
Interim Solutions
In its fully functional mode, Choose and Book communicates electronically between 'compliant' GP Clinical Computer systems and Hospital Patient Administration Systems (PAS). For a number of reasons a number of GP and PAS Systems have not been made compliant in time to deliver the Choose and Book targets set by the Department of Health. Interim solutions have been devised to allow patients to benefit from CaB during 2005/6.Web Based Referral (WBR) allows a GP to access Choose and Book via a standard Web Browser until their Clinical Computing system can be successfully upgraded.
Indirectly Bookable Services (IBS) involves telephone Call Handlers in Hospitals to offer CaB appointments to patients. In a compliant environment, CaB 'harvests' appointment slots from the Hospital PAS. IBS allows a patient to speak to someone who can validate their identity, offer a choice of convenient dates and times from the PAS, then update CaB with details of the chosen appointment.
Progress To Date
The roll-out of CaB in 2005 suffered a number of delays; some technical because of its dependency on other National Programme for IT work streams, partly through functional problems in early releases, and partly through clinicians' concerns about additional workload.Since the application became more stable during 2005, volumes have increased steadily. By early May 2006, over 300,000 patients in 3,500 GP Practices have benefited from CaB. 292 out of the 303 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England are now Live with Choose and Book (although that may only be one GP within a PCT or practice).
Where it is being used some patients report an improved service and like it. However, there have been detractors who have been put off by the idea of booking online. Some patients have complained that the system is too confusing.
In order to increase the uptake of Choose & Book by doctors in England, surgeries are being offered a financial incentive for the first part of 2006 to 'come on board'.
External links
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