Connexion: patient communication the preferred way
The main corridor at Tauranga
Hospital turned into a make shift
voting station recently.
“We all know these days there are
multiple means of communication and
what works for one person will not work for
another. Patients are telling us that overall
their preferred method of communication
is by text message or email across all age
groups and communities.”
Not to be confused with the upcoming
General Election, patients were asked to
vote on their preferred method of contact
for appointments as well as their preferred
choice of text messages.
Well over 6000 appointments are
missed each year at Whakatāne and
Tauranga hospitals. We can reduce this
number by ensuring we contact patients in
the most appropriate way for them, and by
patients keeping us up to date with their
contact details.
The move is part of a wider programme
to improve the way the BOPDHB
communicates with patients about their
hospital appointments.
BOPDHB Chief Operating Officer Pete
Chandler says, “This is about adapting
the way we work and finding out what
best suits our patients. This requires
us to evolve from simply sending
out appointment letters to ensuring
our patients are aware they have an
appointment at the hospital, what it’s
for and have the time to either get there
or reschedule.
Volunteer Coordinator Lesley Grant (left) says people like Grant Turner (right) enjoyed having their say.
The new and improved way of
coordinating appointments based on the
preferred method of contact is set to be
running by the end of the year. “Thanks
to Z Energy BOP for loaning us its ‘Good
in the Hood’ voting boxes and thanks
to all of our patients who have given us
feedback through our Facebook page,
website or by voting at the information
points at both hospitals.”
Mumps outbreak – are you and your family protected?
New Zealand is currently experiencing a
mumps outbreak and so it’s a good time to
check that you and your family are up to date
with immunisations. Mumps is a viral infection that usually affects the saliva
glands. Symptoms include fever, headache and swelling
over the cheek or jaw area on one or both sides of the
face. It is spread from person to person by coughing
and sneezing and symptoms appear 2 to 3 weeks after
coming into contact with someone with mumps.
In the last 12 months there have been more than 300
cases of mumps reported in New Zealand. Most of these
have been in the Auckland region. “It is typically a mild illness that gets better after about
a week but it can cause more unpleasant symptoms such
as swelling of the testes. On rare occasions there can
be serious complications such as damage to hearing or
inflammation of the brain,” says Dr Neil de Wet.
“Intermediate and secondary school age children, as
well as young adults in their twenties have been the most
affected by this outbreak,” says Dr Neil de Wet, Medical
Officer of Health.
The MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine is
a routine childhood immunisation given at 15 months
Make sure you and your family have been immunised to help prevent
illness from measles, mumps and rubella.
and again at 4 years of age. This is more than 95%
effective in preventing measles and rubella, and is about
85% effective in preventing mumps. The MMR vaccine
is the best protection against these diseases. It is
recommended and free for anyone born after 1 January
1969 who has missed having it or who needs to catch up
on the second dose.
If you’re not sure if you or your family has had their MMR
vaccinations, please contact your family doctor to check.
For more information about mumps, please visit the
Ministry of Health website - www.health.govt.nz and
search for mumps.