By Erica Kilburn on Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Category: Product Updates

Healthcare in e-topia -Lloyd Price

For most people, the concept of an urban e-topia, a futuristic paradise where everything is streamlined, simplified and perfected by technology, has only ever been the subject of sci-fi novels. But if we take the time to look closer, glimpses of a modern, ideal society much improved by technology can be seen at this very moment.

From bringing down crime through the use of geographic information systems to diagnosing lung diseases bedside with biomarker analysis tools,[i] technology currently works in unseen ways to improve many aspects of modern urban living.

In healthcare, the emergence of commonly used terms such as eHealth and mHealth (or mobile health) signify how technology has changed the way we manage our physical wellbeing, especially in developed countries where internet and mobile usage are now as common as plumbing and heating.

One measurable way in which eHealth and mHealth improves the quality of healthcare is through enhanced appointment accessibility through online booking sites and applications.

Ready access to necessary health services has been known to impact the overall physical, emotional and mental status of a patient. Naturally, accessible healthcare improves the prevention of disease and disability, the detection and treatment of health concerns, and the overall quality of life.[ii]

In a Californian study, children who had easy access to healthcare scored about 8 percentage points higher on a quality of life survey than children who reported want in care — a difference that the researchers described as ‘clinically important’.[iii]

In Cheshire East, a pilot platform allows elderly patients to book and schedule their care requirements with multiple providers through a centralised system. So far this has been estimated to cut about 20% in staff time, and reduce the cost of delivering elderly care services.[iv]

Aside from making it easier to book and receive primary care, eHealth and mHealth also helps patients make informed decisions about the quality of service they choose.

Because the level of primary care they receive can greatly affect their physical wellbeing, healthcare consumers rely on information about potential service providers more than consumers in other sectors do.[v]

In the desire for what is perceived as credible and easily digestible knowledge, word of mouth recommendations by friends and relatives and e-word of mouth (eWOM) via online reviews serve as major sources of information.[vi]

Not only is eWOM a good business driver for practices who keep their patients happy, it can also serve as a great motivator for practices to continually improve their quality of care and ensure that patients receive the best possible service at all times.

Another way in which technology improves the provision of primary care is by significantly cutting wasted time and money that DNAs bring about. Missed appointments, which are estimated to cost the NHS millions of pounds annually,[vii] can now be greatly reduced with automatic text and email reminders sent to patients.

A good example of the efficacy of this technological system is Barts Hospital and the London Hospital NHS Trust, which saved nearly £1m in 2011 by using an automatic appointment reminder text service.[viii]

Taking all these points into consideration, it’s clear that an effective technological platform that provides easy booking, access to information and appointment reminders – such as Zesty – can greatly benefit both patients and care providers alike.

With services such these, we may soon reach a kind of healthcare e-topia – where anyone with internet access can take better control of their health and improve their quality of life in the simplest, most direct way possible.

Simply email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.zesty.co.uk or call 0203 287 5416 for more details of our Free Trial


[i] Cooper, G. Using technology to improve society. The Guardian online, Smarter Cities. Web. 15 January 2014.

[ii] Access to Health Services. HealthyPeople.gov, 2020 Topics and Objectives, 2013. Web. 15 January 2014.

[iii] Seid M, Varni JW, Cummings L, and Schonlau M, “The Impact of Realized Access to Care on Health-Related Quality of Life: A Two-Year Prospective Cohort Study of Children in the California State Children’s Health Insurance Program,” Journal of Pediatrics, Vol. 149, No. 3, September 2006, pp. 354–361.

[iv] Cooper, G. Using technology to improve society. The Guardian online, Smarter Cities. Web. 15 January 2014.

[v] Robinowitz DL, Dudley RA. Public reporting of provider performance: can its impact be made greater? Annu Rev Public Health. 2006;27:517-36. Review. PubMed PMID: 16533128.

[vi] Hinz V, Drevs F, Wehner J. Electronic Word of Mouth about Medical Services. Hamburg Centre for Health Economics Research Paper Series. September 2012. ISSN 2192-2519.

[vii] Missed appointments cost millions. Heath Service Journal online, 14 February 2013. Web. 16 January 2014.

[viii] Hall, K. NHS Trust saves £1m with text reminder service. ComputerWeekly.com, 16 January 2012. Web. 16 January 2014.

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