The healthcare sector is growing rapidly and taking advantage of technology seems to be the smart way to go, in an age where “patient satisfaction” has given way to “patient delight”. Clinic or outpatient departments are the main touch points for patient interaction and it helps to make a good first impression on today’s discerning healthcare consumer. Here are a few healthcare automation trends recently adopted by the industry, especially in outpatient units or clinics, to enhance patient experience.
1. Digital Signage
Doctors waiting rooms can be intimidating and quite boring for patients. Nowadays, every patient does have a smart phone with access to their own entertainment, so providing free wifi, charging stations and TVs in waiting rooms has become standard. However, to step it up a notch, some clinics are taking advantage of the audience in their waiting rooms, by putting up digital signage to educate and entertain their patients. Digital signs can provide welcome messages, explain registration and new patient check-in instructions, give expected wait times, spotlight doctor profiles, and showcase exciting health tips or news and patient feedback on social media. It also saves money (and reduces carbon footprints!)On printing new signs and marketing material.
Check out www.novisign.com , www.digitalsignbuilder.com for more details.
2. Digital Pens and Prescription Software
The latest trend which seems to be improving both patient experience and patient safety is the concept of the digital pen and prescription with a corresponding software or tablet based applications. This, when integrated with practice management software solutions, makes it easy for doctors to maintain electronic health records and engage with patients through video calls, automated appointment or medication reminders or even just useful health, lifestyle and disease specific information through videos or blogs.
Check out www.irxclinics.com and www.doxper.com for details.
3. Lighting Automation and Climate Control
Automation of lighting scenes and air conditioner or thermostat settings based on sensors and room occupation are beneficial as they can be adjusted to different intensities for different times of the day. It is also an energy conserving and cost saving solution which has made it so popular in various clinic and hospital based set ups already.
4. Patient Kiosks
Healthcare automation provides innovative solutions to the day-to-day inconvenience faced in the healthcare sector. Practices are adopting kiosks to reduce time spent during a traditional patient check in and registration process. The kiosks have user friendly interfaces that guide patients to enter their basic information and insurance information, so that it reduces the chances of manual typing errors. It also helps to maintain order for walk in patients and reduces ques. The information is directly added to the patient’s electronic health record or the doctor’s data base and can be accessed easily by the treating doctor.
