EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Registration kiosks can result in high customer satisfaction, if registrars are on hand to help if needed. Some approaches:
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Place a help desk next to kiosks.
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Step in to complete the registration as soon as patients have difficulty.
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Happily Agree To Register Patients Who Don’t Wish To Use The Kiosk.
Customer service was “front and center” when registration kiosks were rolled out in July 2015 at the South Lobby and Heart Hospital registration departments at Edward Hospital & Health Services and Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare in Naperville, IL, says Miguel Vigo IV, revenue cycle system director of the Patient Access and Pre-Service Center.
“We are seeing high patient satisfaction with those patients that are using the kiosks,” reports Vigo. A patient access support person is stationed within 10 feet of the kiosk. He or she can view the screen the patient is using, to see what the problem is without being told.
“They can either get up and assist the patient, or say to the patient, ‘Just cancel out of it, come over here, and I’ll take care of it for you,’” says Vigo. (See related story on scenarios that flag patient access employees to offer assistance, in this issue.)
HELPFUL REGISTRARS NEARBY
When two self-service kiosks were implemented at Arnold Palmer Medical Center in Orlando, FL, patient access leaders had many concerns. They worried, “What happens if the kiosk breaks down?” “How will patients know where to go after they self-register?” and “What if they are eligible for the kiosk but don’t want to use it?”
Patient access manager Mary Ellen Daley, MHA, CHAM, CRCR, says, “There was also a concern about lines at the kiosks, but it is so quick, we rarely have more than one person waiting.”
KIOSKS NEAR FRONT DESK
The concerns were addressed by positioning kiosks near the registration office front desk, with a team member “help desk” in close proximity.
“Our team member at the help desk is available to guide new users and can complete the check-in process if the user is unable to complete it,” says Daley. The same employee also clears kiosk-eligible patients for the next day.
Patient access creates a list of “kiosk-eligible” patients, which includes most scheduled ancillary services, such as radiology, endoscopy, and cardiology. An employee at the Guest Services front desk directs these patients to the kiosk. “Patients really like the kiosks,” Daley says. “Repeat users walk up and do the whole process on their own.”
PATIENTS GIVE FEEDBACK
Daley spends time at the kiosks and asks patients for feedback.
“It has been positive, with few exceptions,” she says.
Some recent positive comments include:
• “I like it because I don’t have to sit in the lobby and wait.”
• “We are here a lot, and this is so much easier.”
• “I use a kiosk at my doctor’s office. I’m glad you have them, because it saves time.”
“We honestly do not get many negative comments, unless it is to complain that the kiosk is down and they can’t use it,” says Daley. However, some people just don’t like the idea of kiosks and ask, “Shouldn’t you be doing this for me?”
“We reply, ‘Of course! We are happy to sit down with you to complete this information,’ and escort the patient to the registration lobby,” says Daley.
In the future, the department might expand the self-service approach with tablets or phone apps. “Patients will continue to embrace technology that streamlines the process for them,” says Daley.
SOURCES
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Mary Ellen Daley, MHA, CHAM, CRCR, Manager, Patient Access, Arnold Palmer Medical Center, Orlando, FL. Phone: (321) 841-1576. Fax: (321) 843-6355. Email: [email protected].
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Miguel Vigo IV, Revenue Cycle System Director, Patient Access and Pre-Service Center, Edward–Elmhurst Health, Naperville, IL. Phone: (630) 527-7215. Email: [email protected].
