Implementation of innovation and diffusion of good practices in non-public healthcare facilities.
The project co-financed under the Operational Program Innovative Economy under Measure 5.2, from the European Regional Development Fund, was implemented in the period from 01.2011 to 12.2012.
As part of the project, in the course of research work, a methodology for providing a new pro-innovation advisory service – Friendly Clinic Audit – was developed. It was addressed to SMEs providing outpatient treatment services in the field of primary health care, specialist treatment and physiotherapy (medical rehabilitation).
Audit service, based essentially on the methodology of the Technology Audit and being a kind of marketing audit within the meaning of marketing definition, consists in:
- Diagnosing functions in the health care institution which shape the broadly understood standard of customer (patient)
- Assessing maturity of a facility in the studied areas,
- Indication of directions for impementation of innovation in the facility.
Areas studied in the audit include in particular: the process of patient service in remote and on-site registration, functionality of facility’s interiors, institution’s information policy (including the scope of information presented to the patient and their form, external and internal signs of the facility), e-clinic functions including e-registration, e-record, human resources potential and personnel policy of the organization, maturity of the promotion and information process in the facility, availability of services, strategic management process of the organization.
Audit Methodology is a result of research and development works with the participation of experts with experience in managing health care institutions and in the administration of nationwide health care system.
Methodology was developed in the course of literature-based research, including methodologies of other audit services used in health care facilities (Technological Audit, Quality Management System audit according to ISO standards, Healthcare Quality Monitoring Centre audit) as well as in-depth interviews conducted with managers of health care facilities.
As a result of the project we have implementation of Friendly Clinic Audit service in 250 SME enterprises providing outpatient care services, of which over 120 implemented post-audit recommendations. Technology transfer includes in particular the following of the most frequently implemented recommendations:
- Implementation of e-clinic functions such as e-registration and the possibility of remote receipt of test results by the patient,
- retrofitting waiting rooms and legible indoor and outdoor signs,
- writing down and implementing patient service standard in the facility,
- implementation of regular patient satisfaction surveys with the use of random selection method.
In practice, the Friendly Clinic Audit shortens the distance and fills the gap between resources of the facility (staff, equipment, accomodation resources) and its patients. The effect is a faster process of switching to privately funded health services from services financed under National Healthcare Fund contracts based on innovation lessons observed in facilities assessed in the audit as model in individual studied areas. The Friendly Clinic Audit is now a commercial service, i.e. against full payment from entrepreneurs.