Glitches force N.S. Health to put text message reminders on hold
Nova Scotia Health has decided to temporarily pause a text notification system that was recently launched due to some issues with incorrect information being sent out to patients. At least 2,100 texts were sent to Nova Scotians to remind them of medical appointments, but many of them contained errors, particularly regarding appointment times. Some texts also failed to specify whether the appointment was virtual or in-person, or even notified patients of appointments that did not actually exist.
Scott McKenna, the chief information officer at Nova Scotia Health, explained that these were the main issues that arose after the text reminders began being sent out on Monday. He stated that around 10% of the 21,000 texts sent out on Tuesday had errors in the appointment times. The root cause of these problems was attributed to the complexity of managing appointments across the numerous systems used by clinics and health providers in the province, where appointment information is not consistently located in the same field on all forms. Additionally, tentatively booked but unconfirmed appointments also led to erroneous text reminders being sent.
The text notification system was introduced as a way to reduce the number of missed appointments due to forgetfulness. The launch of this service was accompanied by the introduction of push notifications through the YourHealthNS app as another appointment reminder option. Despite the setbacks experienced with the text notifications, McKenna assured that the reminders sent through the app were functioning correctly and would continue to be sent out.
Although the system underwent extensive testing since last summer, using simulated data rather than actual patient data, the live deployment revealed unforeseen issues. McKenna emphasized the importance of not testing on real patient data and acknowledged that live data can present unanticipated challenges. Despite the setback, Nova Scotia Health remains committed to improving their appointment reminder system to provide patients with a better overall experience.
