The Pros & Cons of Web-based Check-in and Registration

“In healthcare, 53 percent of respondents felt self-service was faster, 50 percent thought it was more convenient, and 47 percent thought it was easier,” Toleti added. “These results clearly demonstrate that consumers are not only ready for self-service tools like Web check-in, but that they will readily adopt it when it’s made available to them.”

Although there is little data on how long it takes patients to accept the concept of Web registration, “Once they try the simple and quick service, patients can adapt very quickly and are very likely to use this service for their future visits,” Patterson said.

“NextCare did a study and found out that it took nearly the same amount of time to registration on the Web as to fill out the historical paperwork,” she added. “And once the patient has checked in on the Web, the next check-in will simply be to update their medical history and the information about their present illness or injury. The data is stored electronically and therefore available at any NextCare across the country as well as in their own home when the patient uses a distinct pass-code to access it.”

The collection of patients willing to try Web registration is surprisingly eclectic. Younger consumers are most apt to use self-service technologies, but most patients of any age are looking for ways to expedite the process of accessing care, said Toleti.

“In a 2007 survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for NCR Corporation, patients were asked to consider a series of situations that typically involve waiting for service and to identify which of those activities cause them the most frustration,” Toleti said. “When the results were tallied, respondents between the ages of 55 and 64 named registering at a hospital or clinic the most frustrating on the ‘wait we hate the most’ list, and third overall, compared to wait times in other industries, including retail, government and travel. When asked if they would be interested in using self-service in the healthcare setting, 37 percent of respondents said they would be extremely or very interested in using a self-service kiosk or other self-service option if one was available to help them check-in for medical appointments more quickly.”

The group includes patients who are computer savvy, who are also “very sensitive to the time involved for a visit, and those who would rather wait at home versus the clinic reception area,” according to Patterson. “But in those periods of high illness in the community and therefore higher volume in the clinics, this feature is just another way the company is trying to be sensitive to the patient’s time and comfort.”

Some Alliance patients adapt quickly and love the process, while others would rather stick with pen and paper, Blumhoff acknowledged. “The process is simple and the instructions walk people through it. Once they get there, it is easy — but getting people to understand what Web check-in is and how it benefits them is always a work in progress for us. We feel it provides our patients with an easy service that helps increase their visit satisfaction. Our goal is to get over 50 percent of our patients to use Web check-in.”

The most likely people are those who use the Internet frequently. “It is not necessarily young professionals, but literally anyone who uses their computer a lot,” said Blumhoff. “A lot of people will use our Web check-in service while they are at work to schedule an appointment for after work or during their lunch break.”

Corn said that the Medical Check In kiosk has been well-received by office and patients. Keeping it simple ensures low maintenance and less work for the staff, he added. “Installation of the systems is usually done in 30 minutes or less and requires no technical experience,” he said.

There is no right or wrong way to apply the Web registration process. Clinics will use the tool in different ways. “Patients with no urgency will register via the Internet,” Corn suggested. “Companies that want to pre-arrange healthcare or be prepared for minor emergencies would have the employees fill out forms online just to have them in the system. Establishing employee procedures for an occurrence requiring medical treatment is a valuable step for overall cost control,” Corn said.

Ultimately, it is up to the clinic to find the best fit. But the options are out there, and the patients are increasingly more receptive to using the Web in a way that improves medical care for both the patients and the providers.

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