By Noel Khirsukhani, EVP, Provider Sales and Marketing, PatientPoint®
Like the rotary dial telephone, fax machine and two-way pager, the manual entry of patient data at the check-in desk is fading into history. Today, hospitals, physician groups and other providers are deploying innovative solutions that incorporate mobile kiosks and tablets with patient-friendly applications – a key topic for National Health IT Week 2014.
There are many benefits to instituting a patient self-service check-in process, including reducing the time demands on office staff, improving data integrity and accelerating the revenue cycle management process through immediate collection of co-pays. This technology can improve patient engagement and involvement, contribute to greater satisfaction and long-term loyalty, and align physicians with quality improvement programs.
On the clinical side, self-service check-in solutions make it easy for patients to update their electronic health records (EHRs) and sign any needed consent forms upon arrival. A patient can input the reason for the visit, any changes to a medical condition, prescription medications or other factors that would be significant to the clinician, automating and accelerating the flow of data.
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By Noel Khirsukhani, EVP, Provider Sales and Marketing, PatientPoint®
Like the rotary dial telephone, fax machine and two-way pager, the manual entry of patient data at the check-in desk is fading into history. Today, hospitals, physician groups and other providers are deploying innovative solutions that incorporate mobile kiosks and tablets with patient-friendly applications – a key topic for National Health IT Week 2014.
There are many benefits to instituting a patient self-service check-in process, including reducing the time demands on office staff, improving data integrity and accelerating the revenue cycle management process through immediate collection of co-pays. This technology can improve patient engagement and involvement, contribute to greater satisfaction and long-term loyalty, and align physicians with quality improvement programs.
On the clinical side, self-service check-in solutions make it easy for patients to update their electronic health records (EHRs) and sign any needed consent forms upon arrival. A patient can input the reason for the visit, any changes to a medical condition, prescription medications or other factors that would be significant to the clinician, automating and accelerating the flow of data.
One of the benefits of an automated solution is the ability to conduct pre-screenings right on the spot. A parent who fills in the electronic form for a younger child, for instance, might be asked if her son or daughter has behavior problems or finds it difficult to concentrate in school. If the answer is yes, the application might suggest a screening for psychological or developmental problems. Screening for depression in adults works similarly; answering two quick questions upon check-in helps determine if additional assessment is required. As providers know, early diagnosis is vital to developing an effective treatment plan, and well-designed check-in system can help jump-start that process.
But perhaps the most innovative aspect of an automated check-in solution is being able to personalize the patient experience. Using technologies like a dynamic rules engine, the application can draw from demographic and clinical data in the EHR to present informative and educational information to the patient at the time of check-in or in the examination room prior to a physician encounter.
For instance, a diabetes patient coming in for a semi-annual visit might be offered information about his managing blood sugar or insulin levels. A patient with chronic pain might be able to read an article about a new medication that she could discuss with her doctor.
After the patient sees the physician, an integrated check-out solution offers the patient information on adherence and compliance programs, and can be used for patient satisfaction surveys, and enrollment into mobile and online programs. By personalizing the patient data and experience, automated systems are an increasingly effective solution for improving the delivery of healthcare services.
