Digital partnership dedicated to saving time and costs in healthcare
The European e-health company Doctolib and a Wuppertal hospital group have joined forces to streamline healthcare services. News of the alliance comes after a McKinsey study showed digitization has the potential to save the German healthcare industry billions, including EUR 2.5 billion in online booking of appointments.
A Celllite healthcare facility of the association of clinics of St. Anthony and St. Joseph, the MVZ Medi-Wtal (German only), and the digital service provider for healthcare, Doctolib, are cooperating to improve the availability of care for patients. The move is aimed at enabling users to book and manage appointments around the clock via an online-portal and app. The service allows patients to find out about doctors’ availability, and to make, reschedule, or cancel appointments, without having to call the office. It also facilitates finding doctors and hospitals nearby.
The new system is expected to permit users to manage their healthcare actively with just a few clicks. Once an appointment is made, it is confirmed digitally almost immediately. The Organization of German Healthcare IT Vendors – bvitg e.V. describes Doctolib as “a software solution that increases the efficiency and productivity of the medical facility and staff by saving time and smoothing cooperation between doctors.” It estimates that 40 million patients, 100 thousand doctors, and two thousand healthcare facilities are using the service in Europe.
When the booking system was launched in August, Doctolib’s Managing Director in Germany, Nikolay Kolev said, “As a company in the healthcare industry our top priority is, together with our partners, to ease the pressure on medical staff and to improve patient care. Cooperating with the MVZ Medi-Wtal is a big gain for us and will help us to reach even more patients on a regional level.”
The Managing Director of the MVZ Medi-Wtal, Miriam Pütz said, “We’ve been excitedly awaiting the start of online appointment booking. With our powerful partner we’re able to take another step towards future-oriented, modern organization.”
The export initiative for the German healthcare industry, HEALTH MADE IN GERMANY, is the go-to resource to learn more about how partnerships like this develop. The initiative has produced directories and a video about the sector. What is more, digital health industry associations such as bvitg, bitkom, and NEST are members of the initiative’s working group, and cooperate closely in developing its information base.
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