Lancet Laboratories has partnered with medical form-filling app LogBox to introduce paperless patient intake at its sites across the country.

An important step towards Lancet’s vision of improved customer experience through technology, LogBox enables a ‘digital lab’ that benefits patients and laboratory staff. By eliminating paper forms, the intake process is faster and more efficient, and the patient information captured is more accurate.

Lancet and LogBox have successfully completed pilot testing of the app at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre in Johannesburg. Rollout to Lancet sites in Gauteng has commenced, and national rollout should be completed by early 2018.

“Introducing LogBox to our staff and patients has revolutionised the experience of visiting Lancet for pathology testing, particularly for patients with chronic conditions,” says Sandile Sihlaba, marketing manager at Lancet Laboratories. 

“Some of our patients require monthly testing, and filling in the same forms each time was frustratingly repetitive and time-consuming for them and our staff who know these patients on a first-name basis.”

Developed by South African orthopaedic surgeon Dr Neal Goldstein, with global software development company EPI-USE, LogBox offers doctors and allied healthcare professionals a secure, easy to use, POPI-compliant application accessed via a desktop or mobile device. 

Free for patients, demographic and other information is safely captured once and then shared multiple times in the future with other medical practices that subscribe to LogBox – like Lancet – with explicit consent.

Dr Goldstein explains that patients are often anxious when they are sent for pathology testing, so the last thing they want is getting caught up with filling in medical forms with the same information that they’ve had to supply many times already. “Lancet can now offer a less stressful waiting room experience to their patients, confident that they have the correct information as staff don’t have to struggle to read hand-written forms,” he says.

Sihlaba says that Lancet has embarked on a five-year journey to harness technology within the business, starting with the release of a mobile app and continuing with the introduction of LogBox. “We’ve invested in the training of our laboratory and patient-facing staff and we’re pleased to see a culture of technology ambassadorship spreading throughout the organisation,” says Sihlaba.

Dr Goldstein is hopeful that as more healthcare professionals and consumers join the LogBox community, reducing the amount of admin in the consultation process will increase the connection between doctors and their patients.

“Ultimately, our vision is to use modern technology to improve human interaction during healthcare visits. This vision is perfectly aligned to what Lancet are working towards so we are delighted to count Lancet among our partners,” says Dr Goldstein. 

How to use LogBox

For patients:

1. Download the free app (available on iOS and Android) or visit the website www.logbox.co.za, and register as a user by capturing your personal information, such as your name, address and medical aid details.

2. Once a user, you can register and load your dependents such as your spouse, partner or children’s personal information to your user profile.

3. You are now ready to share your information with medical practitioners subscribed to the service, and no longer have to fill in paper forms. Simply scan their QR code in the waiting room and you are ready to see the doctor.

For medical practitioners and allied healthcare professionals:

1. Register on the LogBox website – www.logbox.co.za – and you will receive your own unique QR code. New practices can enjoy a free 30-day trial period, with a minimal monthly subscription activated after this expires.

2. When visiting your practice, patients scan your QR code, and their relevant information is shared quickly, accurately, and securely with you.

3. This patient data seamlessly integrates with multiple existing healthcare software systems.