Mobile cancellations save time in home care

Residents in Aarhus and Haderslev have cancelled thousands of appointments with home care and rehabilitation services directly via a new app in just a few months, giving residents greater freedom whilst saving time and preventing wasted visits for municipal staff.

76-year-old Hanne Østergaard from Haderslev uses the new solution to check when home care will arrive. 

“I can just look in the app to see who is coming and when. Even though things can change, it helps me plan better and see if, for example, I have time to go to the supermarket before they arrive,” she explains.

59-year-old Hans Jørgen Westen has used the app to communicate with his physiotherapist and appreciates being able to do so at a time that suits him – for example, after working hours.

“We’ve arranged appointments and written about how the training is going. It has been easy to communicate back and forth,” he says.

Quick cancellations free up time 

Since April, Aarhus Municipality has recorded 4,100 cancellations via the new app. In Haderslev, there were around 120 cancellations in May alone. According to Project Manager Benjamin Engrob Hjul Jakobsen from Aarhus Municipality, this benefits both residents and staff:

“When a resident can quickly cancel – even outside phone hours – we avoid situations where staff arrive to find no-one there. Instead, that time can be reallocated and offered to other residents,” he explains.

In Aarhus, around 4,200 residents and 330 family members have adopted the solution. In Haderslev, there are about 2,000 users and 100 family members.

Used around the clock 

The app allows residents to send messages, change appointments and see an overview of visits – at any time of day. In Haderslev, nearly 40 per cent of all logins occur outside normal working hours.

“We see residents cancelling home care early in the morning because they’ve woken up ill, or late in the evening because a relative is taking them on holiday. This gives us a better chance to plan and reallocate resources,” says Benjamin Engrob Hjul Jakobsen.

About Cura Dialogue 

Columna Cura Dialogue is part of the care record system Columna Cura, which is used in around 40 Danish municipalities. The app Columna Cura Dialogue, also called “Min Dialog” (My Dialogue) in Aarhus, is developed by the Danish software company Systematic.

Features:
•    Overview of planned visits and appointments
•    Information about who is coming, and when
•    Ability to send and receive messages with the municipality
•    Ability to change or cancel appointments
•    Access for family members to help and follow the resident’s care journey

Aarhus Municipality
Pilot project in November 2024 with approx. 1,500 residents
Rolled out in April 2025
Approx. 4,000 residents and nearly 300 family members  have adopted the solution

Haderslev Municipality
Full roll-out on 1 September 2024 to all relevant residents
Approx. 2,000 unique users