Thin clients

No not a successful weight loss class, but an emerging trend in the IT world.

You see, I've been looking into setting up a public access internet terminal in our Reception area. I think it would be a useful service - enabling people to make use of our website, access NHSDirect and Choose & Book as well as checking their email while they wait.

My initial thought was to go straight to Dell and configure the cheapest PC I could. Pure internet access isn't going to need much processor power.

But then I discovered the 'thin client'. It seems that there is a move to go back to the server-client model of yesteryear with one powerful central computer serving up applications to a legion of cheap 'dumb' terminals over a network.

But the interesting thing is that many of these thin clients are far from 'dumb'. Most are based on Linux (read value-for-money, less susceptible to viruses, and generally a Jolly Good Thing) and include a web browser. That's right - a web browser built into the firmware. And the best bit? Many cost less than £150.

So for around £250 (once I've bought a keyboard, monitor and so on) I can have a fully functioning internet terminal. And one that's virtually impossible for users to mess up (everything is solid-state so a quick reboot should fix most problems). Seriously cool.

Now all I need is the internet access. I guess I could go really minimalist and stick in a mobile 3G card, but BTs latest announcement that their business router will soon include an Openzone hotspot may just sway me. That way we can provide internet access for mobile devices in the waiting room and elsewhere around the building too.

I'm hoping to have a play with a thin client from Netvoyager very soon, so I'll let you know how it goes!

NHS taken over by artificial intelligence?

Choose and Book, the national system for GPs to refer their patients to Hospital hasn't been having a good week.

There are reports that the update to free-choice (where the patient can choose any hospital in the UK for their appointment) has been delayed indefinitely because of a teeny-tiny problem.

It would appear that the system is merrily sending out appointments to people who haven't even been referred. Ahem, er, not good.

Is this a bug? Or some kind of recently evolved telehealth artificial intelligence (yes, Mr Smith, I know you're not ill now but I know something you don't!)?

Who knows?

Certainly not the boffins who run the system, they are on the record as saying that as far as they are concerned the system is working 'normally' and they have no clue as to why this has happened.

Well that's reassuring then, isn't it?

Full story here.

What's the point?

I get the train to work every day - good chance to catch up with my email and what friends have been up to on Facebook each morning. Usually its stress-free. But last week I forgot my season ticket.

Typically, that was the day they decided to check tickets on the train (anyone else have luck like this or is it just me?). I explained that I pay by direct debit and had forgotten to swap my ticket over when I had changed coats that morning. But that wasn't going to wash. Out came the (massive!)computer and chip & pin machine.

A few taps on the screen later and, 'Your credit card please Sir, that'll be £20'.

'But can't you use your computer there to check my account?' I protested. But apparently 'it doesn't do that'.

Ok, fine. He explains that I have to pay now and claim back later (by this point everyone's staring at me like some kind of fare-dodging pariah and I just want to get this experience over with as soon as possible). He points out the website address at the bottom of the penalty notice. Fine, great, just go now please.

So as soon as he has done with making my card £20 lighter I fire up the browser on my Palm 750. Right, so I'll just put in my claim now then. That'll show them.

It's a bit of a chore navigating the site, there's no mobile version and a bit graphic-heavy but I eventually get there. I enter all the details needed (a quick call to the wife gets me my season ticket number). Job done, great. So I can look forward to that cheque in the post then, can I?

Er, no.

A week (a whole week!) later I get an email. Well, I say email, but the formatting is so all-over-the-place its worse than the website. Obviously a cut-n-paste job from a Word document.

'In order that we may fully assess your case, issue a reply and, where appropriate, make arrangements for a refund from the Train Operating Company, please forward your original PENALTY FARE / UNPAID FARE NOTICE to...'

But not only that, they require a covering letter with my full name and address and a photocopy of my season ticket.

So the form I filled in on the website was for what, exactly?

My tip for companies like this? If you are so inept that you can't even send an email properly then don't even pretend to have any on-line facilities. Don't waste my time. Just tell me to post the darn thing in the first place. Bah.

Beep, beep, its your GP.

You may have read about the iPlato messaging service for healthcare facilities. The service is becoming increasingly popular amongst GPs, and we jumped on the bandwagon this week.

My initial thoughts? Well, it looks good. Basically we as a GP surgery can send a text to everyone who has an appointment in the next 48hrs (or whatever timescale, it’s all user-configurable via a rules engine) to remind them to turn up. Something I hadn’t then realised is that the recipient is then given the option of replying to the text:

The reply then gets converted to an email and delivered fairly promptly to an mailbox of our choosing. The email has the name of the person who replied, which is a nice touch and should certainly make our receptionists task easier than trying to tie up mobile phone numbers with appointments!

You’ll notice that the number is a straightforward 07 number (Orange I think) so should be included for free in most plans.

We can also send one-off messages to individual patients, although there are strict guidelines governing what information can be included in a text message. Nothing personally identifiable (Dear Mrs Smith…) or detailed (…about your haemorrhoids…) just in case the person has left their phone lying around (in the back of a cab perhaps?)

My main worry is about keeping phone numbers up to date. According to iPlato we currently have a mobile number for 26% of our patients. I think we need a “give us your mobile number” drive and constant reminders for people to keep us updated when they change their phone. For me there’d be nothing worse than getting annoying appointment reminders for someone else on your new PAYG phone with a “recycled” number!

But I wonder how many people would think to include their GP on that “Hey guys I’ve changed my mobile number” text or email?