Authors (including presenting author) :
WAN YT, CHAN N, HUNG SY, Cheung PH, CHEUNG YHK, LEUNG WMW, Li HLF, WONG MSM, WONG MYM
Affiliation :
Department of Family Medicine and Primary Health Care, Hong Kong East Cluster, Hospital Authority
Introduction :
By leveraging the Hospital Authority mobile app “HA Go” to expedite the use of Smart Care throughout the entire patient journey. Patients and carers are able to manage health care at fingertips, from managing appointment, registration, queue enquiry, tele-consultation, e-payment, drug delivery to personalized health monitoring. HA Go proactively promoted in Family Medicine and Primary HealthCare (FM&PHC), Hong Kong East Cluster (HKEC) since September 2023.
Objectives :
Develop structure approach to promote HA Go
Enhance staff knowledge of smart initiatives
Facilitate patients to manage own health effectively
Methodology :
HA Go promotion is the cornerstone of patient application in smart clinic measures, a three-tier promotion structure was adopted in the department since September 2023. A Smart Clinic Workgroup with medical, nursing and clerical staff was established as advisor in third-tier. Workgroup members developed promotion strategies, produced education material and conducted training. Clinics assigned staff as HA Go link persons, the link persons would act as bridge between workgroup and frontline to maintain effective communication as second-tier. All staff in clinics also promote the new implement as first-tier. 3 clerical members in the workgroup were assigned to different clinics for staff enquiries and assisted them for the promotion.
In early 2024, a Smart Clinic Train-The-Trainer Lunch Forum was conducted for clinic link persons, individual staff training was also launched in clinics. Smart Clinic workshops for clinic volunteers were conducted regularly for those volunteers’ assigned duty with HA Go promotion.
Result & Outcome :
From October to December 2023, all link person, 98% of staff (including nursing, supporting and clerical) and volunteers were trained how to use and promote HA GO.
From April to December 2024, 130 HA Go promotion small classes were conducted with 243 participants in clinics with different languages including Cantonese, English and Mandarin. The promotion was extended to outlying islands, 3 sessions of HA Go workshops collaborated with district councils’ members in Peng Chau & North Lamma were completed with 75 residents attended.
From October 2023 to November 2024, cash payment decreased from 21.4% to 11.7%. From February 2023 to November 2024, patients used HA Go for appointment registration increased from 0.1% to 16.6%.
A three-tier promotion structure and proactive promotion approach increased HA Go utilization. Patients are benefit from those functions of the app to better manage their health. The formation of Smart Clinic Workgroup not only enhance HA Go promotion; also facilitates the implementation of other smart initiative services e.g. teleconsultation.
