In the rapidly evolving world of healthcare, innovation is an absolute necessity. Increasing efficiency and improving patient care are crucial goals for every healthcare institution. Flexclinics, an independent treatment centre (ZBC) specialised in orthopedic and plastic surgery, chose Caro Health to achieve these goals.

In this article, we focus on the implementation process of the Flexclinics app, seen through the eyes of Annemiek Commerell. As Front and Back Office Manager, she witnessed closely how this process not only went more smoothly than expected but also turned out to be more efficient than anticipated. We would like to take you through her perspective in this journey.

The implementation process in five steps

On 19 July 2023, the implementation process officially commenced with a kick-off at Flexclinics in Utrecht. During this meeting, we were surrounded by a small group of healthcare professionals, including the enthusiastic Annemiek. "During this session, we received clear explanations about how the app and the backend system work, and how the treatments are structured. Additionally, we got a preview of how our Flexclinics app, in our own branding, would ultimately look, both for us and for the patients," Annemiek explains.

The kick-off served as the starting signal for a seamless process. The Flexclinics team began gathering existing treatment information, such as brochures and photographs, which our implementation specialist Fleur Kerssemakers then used to implement the first two treatments in the Content Management System (CMS). In this backend system, treatments, also known as care pathways, are implemented and managed.

After a brief CMS training, Annemiek, together with two Orthopedic and Plastic Surgery consultants and Founding partner & Anesthesiologist Peter van Aggelen, was well-prepared to work with the system and review the content of the treatments. "Anyone who can work with a computer can handle the CMS. It is very user-friendly," Annemiek emphasises. "Our role during the implementation process was mainly to review the content of the treatments to see if the information corresponds to our guidelines and instructions. Caro provides a very comprehensive piece that we can work with," Annemiek explains.

Four treatments integrated with minimal effort

After reviewing the content of the treatments, a joint testing session took place, and everything was fine-tuned. After that, the app was ready to go live on 1 September, exactly six weeks after the start of the implementation process.

During this short period, a total of four treatments were successfully integrated: knee prosthesis, hip prosthesis, abdominal wall correction, and breast correction. Annemiek and her team were pleasantly surprised by the low workload surrounding the implementation process: "I expected it to be a lot of work, and that we would need to provide and process a lot of input, but I am very pleasantly surprised," Annemiek shares positively. "We only needed a few hours per treatment."

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Continuous optimisation of the app

A month after the launch, the first evaluation always takes place. This type of evaluation moment is a recurring process, where feedback from both patients and staff is discussed and used to continually optimise the app. The first results of the Flexclinics app are now known: patients give the app an average score of 8.5! “The app provides great information when it is needed. The advice given based on your complaints offers a lot of support because, as a patient, you are often uncertain about the complaints and their progress,” shares a patient.

“The app provides great information when it is needed. The advice given based on your complaints offers a lot of support because, as a patient, you are often uncertain about the complaints and their progress.”

Within six weeks, the app was up and running

"The whole process went very smoothly. It is nice that we can independently make adjustments in the CMS, meaning we are not reliant on Caro," Annemiek notes. She was also pleased with the clear, swift guidance. "After asking a question, we could almost immediately move on, which sped up the process. Without the excellent, quick support from Fleur and her colleagues, it would have been a much longer story," she adds.

Confidence in the future

Annemiek emphasises that the Flexclinics app enables them to provide patients with important information and facilitate better communication. "Patients now have access to all the necessary information in one place and can use the app to communicate with us. Everything is concentrated in one app," she says enthusiastically. They are particularly pleased with the chat function and the ability to remind patients about invoices and payment deadlines, which can save time and money.

"Especially the chat function we find very pleasant. Every time we receive a new chat message from a patient, we also get an email notification," Annemiek explains. The chat turns out to be an efficient way to answer patient inquiries. "You can respond to a chat message in your own time and you have the opportunity to look up an answer. This is in contrast to a phone call, where you sometimes have to call back because you don't have the answer readily available," she adds.

With a smooth implementation process and the support of Caro Health, Flexclinics has quickly and efficiently implemented their app. Annemiek is fully confident that the app will meet their expectations and contribute to an improved patient experience.