One such practice experiencing this requirement is Bingley Medical Practice who actively send postal communications to specific patient cohorts, including those who are vulnerable or elderly, to patients who have opted for post as their communication preference and when required to send detailed information, including referrals. The surgery is responsible for providing and managing health care services to the residents in the West Yorkshire area.
With a constant requirement for postal communications to work alongside text messages and practice phone calls, Bingley Medical Practice sought a new way of managing the sending of print and post.
Previously completed in-house with franking machines and trips to the post office, the process became time-consuming and inefficient.
As users of SystemOne the new process needed to be compatible with the clinical system and work with existing processes.
Docmail hybrid mail is a secure, online solution that provides a self-managed system for managing and sending postal communications. The solution allows single and bulk mailings to be sent in just a few simple clicks, whilst delivering high-quality and impactful output.
It’s designed to save time and money, whilst providing a streamlined and secure alternative to sending print and post.
Docmail has a print driver extension that is designed for medical practices, allowing posted letters to be created and sent straight from a clinical system. The print driver can be downloaded to a PC and acts as a virtual printer allowing pre-merged letters to be printed, by sending the documents straight to CFHs impressive factory facility for mailing.
Bingley Medical Practice created an online account with Docmail and downloaded the print driver onto PC’s within the surgery. During the set up, over 60 templates were converted to be compatible with Docmail’s document recognition software, including the re-positioning of the address area.
The process is now completely streamlined. Within SystemOne letters and leaflets are selected at the patient record and printed to the Docmail print driver. Through pre-agreed print options, known as print profiles that save mailing options including colour and black white, postage option and single or double side, the letters are sent to Docmail to be printed.
By enabling the merge mode functionality the practices are able to print mail merges direct from SystemOne and can utilise the OCR extraction for ERS referral forms, when sending bulk mailings to patients.
By using Docmail the practice can send out appointments, referrals, information, service and research project mailings, all within a few clicks.
By sending letters through the Docmail print driver, Bingley Medical Practice can engage and send detailed information to patients.
The solution is easy to use, flexible and provides a time efficient process of sending and managing postal communications. By sending letters the surgery is able to increase practice uptake, keep patients informed and manage the healthcare within their local community.
The compatibility with SystemOne enables the surgery to send these communications and print on demand leaflets with ease, without having to leave their clinical system.
The customer support team are always available to answer any questions by phone or email and provide a helping hand with mailing support and advice, adding that personal touch to the service.
Since the adoption of Docmail the surgery has sent a total of 2,860 mailings to 5,839 addresses providing positive time efficiencies to the surgery, when comparing the use of Docmail to in house processes.
The surgery will continue to use Docmail, as they continue to utilise print and post to engage with different patient cohorts. Whilst NHS communications take upon more of a digital channel, the surgery has identified that print and postal communications will remain vital for engaging with patients and the sending of specific communications.
Docmail offers a streamlined alternative for managing printed communication in our surgery. The process provides time and cost savings from the removal of in-house procedures that allows us to focus on other tasks.
The solution's compatibility with SystemOne is extremely beneficial, allowing us to work within the patient record when sending printed letters and leaflets. I would recommend the Docmail print driver to other practices who are using print and post to engage patients, it’s been the ideal solution for our practice.
Jayne Quail, Secretary,
Bingley Medical Practice
