"Bill of Health"-Self Service in the ER
Thursday, June 12, 2008SUSIE GHARIB: It's no secret the health care industry doesn't always have the best customer service. But at a time when hospitals and clinics are struggling for profits, many are improving the patient experience to improve their bottom lines. As Jeff Yastine reports in tonight's "Bill of Health," self service could be coming to a hospital near you.
JEFF YASTINE, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: At gasoline stations, we've all gotten used to the idea of self service. It's a similar story at airports, where self-service kiosks punch out boarding passes. But when it comes to visiting an emergency room, clinic or doctors office, most of us still resign themselves to long waits or filling out a blizzard of legal and insurance forms. That's why some hospitals and clinics are beginning to use self-service check-in computers designed to speed the process along for patients.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First time I ever used it, so I found it quick. I did find it easy. I really had no problems with it.
YASTINE: These kiosks are a part of improving customer service at this diagnostic imaging center run by West Boca medical center in Boca Raton, Florida.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I'm going to type in my last name. I'm going to hit next. It's going to ask me for a piece of information, my date of birth.
YASTINE: Gary Grandovic's job is to bring in more customers here, in part by making the experience as fast and hassle-free as possible. The kiosks figure prominently into that strategy.
GARY GRANDOVIC, DIR, WEST BOCA DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING CENTER: Let's be honest, the health care industry hasn't been known to provide timely service, people sit in doctors' offices for a while, people sitting in waiting rooms for a while. We wanted to get away from that. We wanted to make sure that if you had a 3:00 appointment, you were going to be seen real close to that 3:00 time window. And by having all the paperwork done in advance, by being able to have that person kind of expedite themselves, it helped that process.
YASTINE: More than 100 hospitals and clinics now use the kiosks, which are made by NCR. The company's chief strategy officer Mike Webster says patient expectations are driving sales.
MIKE WEBSTER, CHIEF STRATEGY/COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, NCR: If you look at the registration experience itself, it's a process that hasn't changed much in the past 50 years. It's still the same paper based, check the box kind of experience for the patient. So if we look at what's really changed in terms of why hospitals are now adopting it, I believe it's because the patients are demanding a better experience and a more convenient way for them to interact with their healthcare professionals.
YASTINE: Worries about the privacy of patients' insurance and medical records are one reason why hospitals in the past have been reluctant to embrace kiosk technology. As safeguards improved, so has interest from healthcare administrators. The average system costs roughly $150,000, but analysts say hospitals see a fairly quick return on their investment, because the kiosks make them more efficient and reduces patient wait times. Jeff Yastine, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, Boca Raton, Florida.
