Primary care physicians (PCP) will schedule the examinations and interventions required for their patients in clinics and hospitals directly, online, through an electronic system, starting from the next year,

This is stated in the Regulation book for electronic scheduling of examinations and interventions introduced by the Ministry of Health. The Regulation book is a pilot project planned to start on 1 December 2012 but its official implementation is intended to start from 1 January 2013.

- The aim of this reform is to change the current organization and functioning of the Macedonian health care system regarding this part, and also to overcome the perception of chaos seen by the patients, and to reduce the waiting time by the counters from the current five to six hours up to 15 or 20 minutes, said today the department Minister, Nikola Todorov.

With this system, a full predictability of the workload of physicians will be received, added the Minister.

Pursuant to the Regulation book, the primary care physician by opening the system will tell the patient which medical facility has an available term and when, and which doctor the patient should refer to. The patient, depending on his/her wants, will choose where and when he/she wants to go, or in other words, will schedule an appointment. The secondary health care provider opens the system and reads the programme of scheduled patients every morning, getting informed how many patients have an appointment for the current day.

Scheduling services at tertiary level will run at the same principle. The system is very simple, and among other things, will allow cancellation or rescheduling terms by phone, SMS messaging or by e-mail, said Todorov. Every physician, from primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare will manage this System.

Interventions in tertiary health will be appointed by the physician enumerating their duration.