In Poland, a significant problem is the limited accessibility to costly medical imaging diagnostics (magnetic resonance, tomography, PET-CT)) under the public healthcare system. The problem is especially acute for patients with cancer. Persons waiting for diagnostics had no means to check the waiting times, to compare how long the queues were in different medical centres, and to find the quickest date for diagnostic visit. The portal of the National Health Fund (NFZ) dedicated to queues was difficult to use and presented very incomplete information. The aim of the project was to make it easier for patients to find information on availability of imaging diagnostics.
Under the project, an easy to use and regularly updated portal Kolejkoskop.pl was launched that enables patients to check the waiting times for imaging diagnostics in 500 medical centres finaced by NFZ and to find out where the services can be most conveniently got in a chosen region or town. The launching of the portal Kolejkoskop.pl encouraged NFZ to modify their own web page and to create the Nationwide Directory on Waiting Times for Medical Services. Data needed for the protal were gathered by telephone consultants who monitored availability of imaging diagnostics in almost 500 diagnostic centres throughout Poland. Also users of the portal could report the actual waitning times. During six months from launching of the portal (November 2014), it was visited by 33 146 persons. Active users sent 1813 pieces of information. Direct beneficiaries of the project were patients (we estimate that approx. 1 145 339 persons were reached by the Internet advertisment of the portal).
The Alivia Foundation contacted the partner, Kraftur Cancer Foundation (Rejkjavik), and met them twice. During the meetings, the actual availability of imaging diagnostsics in Poland and in Iceland was discussed, as well as methods of contacting diagnostic centres and users of the portal, and ideas for promotion of the project and future financing of the portal.