Efficiently setting up the process for the distribution and processing of health screenings at secondary schools. So that questionnaires are designed smarter, the survey becomes more accessible and the administrative burden for the Youth Healthcare Services professionals is reduced.
Young people in secondary education are offered two health examinations by the Municipal Health Service during their secondary education. During this examination, young people can reflect on their health and get advice, help or support if necessary. Components of these examinations are measuring height and weight and filling out a digital questionnaire. Themes such as general health, stimulants, lifestyle, but also emotional state and sexual activity are addressed. All in all, filling in the questionnaire is a time-consuming task for the young people in question. They often have to go through all the questions on the list, while not everything is relevant to everyone. But above all, it is also a great administrative burden for the mental health care services. The healthcare professionals have to assess the completed questionnaires, process them and plan follow-up consultations where necessary.
Help us to organise the process of administering and processing health surveys more efficiently. This will make the questionnaires smarter, make the survey more accessible for young people and thus reduce the administrative burden for the Youth Health Services professionals.
Working with the client, we turned the problem inside out. How does it work now? What are the bottlenecks? What is going well, where are the opportunities and what really needs to be changed? We went back to the drawing board and developed various prototypes for possible solutions in design sprints. During the process, we continually made adjustments based on new insights obtained through research. For example, it was initially agreed that it would be possible to e-mail health advice to the young people concerned. However, during a user meeting it was discovered that there is a need to reach young people through channels they use themselves, such as social media. Thanks to the short lines of communication, adjustments could be made in time to take account of new insights.
The solution? An optimised system that makes health screening more pleasant and an effective method of prevention. By applying logic rules, only the relevant questions in a questionnaire are shown to the recipients. Based on the answers given, actions can be undertaken automatically, such as giving specific advice or scheduling a follow-up appointment. Questionnaires that lead to an indication, such as excessive alcohol consumption or psychosocial well-being, are immediately placed in an overview. This makes it instantly clear in which cases action is required. All completed data is reconciled in a digital file.
Time saving for Youth Health Service professionals, as the implementation and handling of the health examinations takes less time. The result? Being able to conduct more health screens in the same amount of time and identifying health risks faster. Early detection of, for instance, child abuse can prevent bigger health issues in the future.
Please visit the Youth Health Service website or Public Health for more information or contact Christiaan Mast
Hoe slimmere IT-oplossingen gezondheidsonderzoeken op de middelbare school verbeteren.
