case study
KAVA Pharmacists in better and more direct contact through Siilo
The Royal Pharmacists’ Association of Antwerp (KAVA) represents more than 1300 Antwerp and Flemish pharmacists. Since the beginning of this year, KAVA has used Siilo to improve communication between the association and its members, amongst pharmacist peers in the association, and between members and other healthcare professionals in the region.
Problem: inefficient communication between KAVA and pharmacists
Newsletters and announcements via email and post offered little room for interaction between KAVA and its members, and crisis communication was difficult to quickly disseminate through these mediums, too. KAVA therefore decided to look for a future-proof communication platform, where pharmacists could consult each other safely and quickly on patient-related matters, that would also provide two-way channels between the association and its members.
Solution: sharing information organisation-wide
A private KAVA network within Siilo provides KAVA with a platform where information can be shared with all members of the network. In order to structure the sharing of this information, KAVA has created a number of discussion forums called “Tiles”, where information can be read and shared according to topic. KAVA chose four different tiles: “Contacts”, “Agenda”, “News”, and “Getting Started”. The KAVA network administrator can allocate posting rights per tile, ensuring that only select users can disseminate information while others can respond or simply read the content.
KAVA’s Siilo network complements other communication channels that the association utilises and gives KAVA the opportunity to engage directly in conversation with its pharmacists. Nico Capriau, Director of Professional Support at KAVA, often shares news, urgent announcements and agenda items in the various tiles, and encourages discussions between network members in response. Regular interaction allows for many opinions on important topics to be heard and later incorporated in, for example, the drafting or optimisation of KAVA guidelines and policy rules.
When COVID-19 was first making its impact in Europe, KAVA asked its members how they implemented new safety measures within their practice. Nearly 100 pharmacists answered with tips and photographs of how they maintain a safe practice, and others were able to learn from these best resources to ensure their own safety and the health of their patients. This kind of immediate conversation and knowledge-sharing on such a wide scale would have been impossible without KAVA’s Siilo network.
Results: increased interaction between KAVA and pharmacists
The number of active users within KAVA increased by 300% during the first two months of the COVID crisis. On average, 40.000 messages are sent and received per month by members of the KAVA network. Rapid adoption can also be seen in the large amount of interaction in the Spaces tiles. Pharmacists are using Siilo to make their voices heard by KAVA administrators and also to inspire each other in their work. Nico Capriau and Bernard De Ruyck, both responsible for the management of the KAVA network on Siilo, are happy to see the positive reactions of pharmacists. With Siilo, they report having better and more direct contact with their members.
How can your organisation implement Siilo?
Would you like to know more about how Siilo can help your team to work better and safer together? Please contact us at https://www.siilo.com/start-with-siilo.