FACUA Andalucía denounces that the gradual replacement of the user communication service, which was carried out by letters and which is now carried out through SMS, may entail "discrimination against the elderly or those who, due to their personal circumstances, are not familiar with mobile devices".
This is how the federation explains it in a statement, where it ensures that it has learned of this new modality of communication of summons in specialized consultations and health information in Andalusia through the complaints of some users of the public health system.
In addition, the text message where the information arrives to the patient does not indicate the possibility of changing the appointment or the way to do it.
The organization has expressed its "concern about the information model that is progressively being implemented due to its impact among users of a certain age, in many cases vulnerable due to their chronically ill condition", and who are not used to using their mobile phones. , and who are harmed by this measure.
FACUA Andalucía warns of the consequences that may derive from carrying out communications through this system for the health of the people affected, and of the impact of the measure in terms of possible non-attendance at the appointment.
The issue is relevant, since Decree 96/2004, of March 9, which establishes the guarantee of response time in healthcare processes, first consultations for specialized assistance and diagnostic procedures in the Andalusian Public Health System, provides in its article 6, related to the loss of the guarantee, that the response guarantee will be without effect in specific cases, one of which is failure to attend the appointment.
Faced with this situation, the federation deems it necessary to assess the cases in which this measure is appropriate based on the type of patient and with their consent, which authorizes them to be cited in this way, trying to maintain the appointment by traditional letter for the rest. of users of the Andalusian public health system.
Finally, FACUA Andalucía has recalled that among its actions in defense of consumers and users is protection against risks that may affect their health, for this reason they have requested a meeting with the Andalusian Health Service to address the information system to user, as well as the management of the Complaint Sheets filed with the Andalusian health system, or the deterioration observed in the participation in health matters of social agents.
