More people are receiving timely bladder cancer treatment at the Helsingborg Clinic

– It’s the people behind the numbers that matter. What drives us is not to achieve a certain percentage, but to help more patients in the best ways, says Helen Noreen, Unit Director of the Urology Department.

Bladder cancer is a malignant disease that tends to get worse if left untreated. However, if cancer is caught early, it is often possible to get rid of it.

Every little part matters

One of the first steps in improvement work was to identify where the process often stopped. Bottlenecks that could affect yourself have found solutions within the team. When bottlenecks associated with other parts of care were discovered, solutions were found in collaboration with the companies involved.

-We were able to identify a lot of small, sometimes seemingly mundane, things that slowed down the process. Overall, all the small steps taken made a big difference in the big picture. At the same time, we have gained a lot by increasing our understanding of the working methods of our various businesses. We’ve found, for example, that if we submit a sample to a pathologist before 1 p.m. on a Friday, we win a full day, compared to if we submit the sample later in the same day, says Therese Anderson, coordinator. Special voluntary fund

Informed patients

Previously, patients received written invitations. Nowadays, they instead receive a phone call before the first visit. This has resulted in a decrease in the number of patients canceling their appointments.

– There can be many reasons why a patient may choose to cancel their appointment. You may not have fully understood what the doctor at the health center told you – a cancer report often triggers anxiety and fear, which can make it difficult to absorb the information. In conversation, we provide information and have the opportunity to answer questions. In this way, we give everyone the best possible conditions to make informed decisions about their health, says Marika Pask, coordinator of the private donations organisation.