Problem
As part of the Health Gains Promotion policies, a vertical programme with a specific budget allocation was created to provide timely access to support products for all citizens with a disability or temporary incapacity.
These support products, known as Technical Aids, are materials and equipment designed to compensate for the patient’s disability (or prevent the clinical condition from worsening).
It was therefore important to characterise the technical aids requested by hospitals. Management of the programme, namely the reimbursement of funds to National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and the extraction of data for statistical purposes, was carried out at the end of each calendar year, based on information sent by hospitals (each hospital submitted an Excel file every six months).
This initial solution had several inherent problems, namely: incomplete, non-standardised information, as well as data loss resulting from errors in the files or from compiling data from different sources.
Solution
In a partnership process, the Directorate-General of Health (DGS) and the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS) defined the requirements needed to implement a solution that would meet the needs of both institutions while simultaneously providing feedback to hospitals and citizens.
The solution involved developing a set of processes – “Technical Aids” – based on Masterlink technology, over a three-week period. This system provides real-time visibility into technical aids that are being procured, those that have been delivered (with automatic creation of an invoice support document), and those that have been cancelled. For full transparency, the system flags what has been invoiced for all delivered technical aids.
Benefits
The implementation of this process transformed a reality that began with the submission of individual, non-standardised files and funding based on reimbursing prescriptions issued, into a new reality where records are made daily, information is available immediately, the managing entity (ACSS) tracks requirements and manages the budget more effectively, and the DGS obtains all statistical information at any time.
The ability to monitor technical aids in real time across their various stages – being procured, delivered, and cancelled – has made their management transparent and created the conditions to streamline the procurement process for these technical aids – and their associated materials and products – with clear benefits for patients, who now experience shorter waiting times for delivery.
