Case study: Self-service benefits for Healthcare
Self-service terminal

Background

When the pandemic broke out in 2020, the healthcare industry experienced unprecedented problems and issues that previously could have been managed but, given the exponential exposure, overwhelmed healthcare institutions.

Hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities struggled with operational risks, such as a shortage of staff, resistance to vaccination, and a surge in both mild and severe cases of COVID-19. This resulted in long waiting time at healthcare facilities.

In response, both public and private healthcare providers approached us to inquire about the potential benefits of implementing self-service technology in their facilities.

The Solution

After researching integration possibilities with the local hospital information systems, the largest hospital in Latvia, Riga East Clinical University Hospital, decided to introduce self-service terminals with the potential to cover all its branches to add value for both patients and staff.

Implementing the freestanding kiosk terminal powered by Tapbox software has eased the patient flow, and patients can now register for doctor’s appointments themselves. 

One of the essential conditions is the saving of time resources. By modernizing processes, we improve the capacity of Customer Service Centers and reduce queues. On the other hand, we can direct the operators of the Customer Service Centers to work in the Call Center, thus reducing the waiting time to connect with the operator. Digital solutions provide significant advantages saving time and resources therefore, we are pleased with the successful implementation and cooperation of the project.

Agrita Junkere, Head of Customer Management Division

Functionality

At the moment, the main functionalities include two workflows: 
1) Registration for the visit 
2) Post-payment after the visit where additional manipulations have been done 

Registration for the visit: The patient authorizes with a passport or ID, automatically filling in and signing questionnaires and onboarding forms; chooses the respective appointment; makes the payment; if possible, adds insurance coverage; and obtains the queue number.

Post-payment: The patient authorizes with a passport or ID, the system automatically displays the patient’s latest invoices, and the patient can conveniently make the payment.

Benefits

Benefits for the healthcare facility:

  1. Cost optimization through reducing employee count and eliminating the need for additional personnel.
  2. Unlimited operation time; patients can access services outside of regular business hours.
  3. Reduced operational risk by automating processes and reducing human error (no sick leave, emotional impact, or unwillingness to cooperate).
  4. Empowering patients to perform necessary actions themselves.
  5. Data digitalization and process automation, allowing for more efficient operations and streamlined processes.
  6. Patient activity tracking at , allowing better understanding of patient needs and enables the healthcare facility to make data-driven decisions.
  7. Increased patient satisfaction by giving them more control over their healthcare and reducing wait times.
  8. Reduced physical contact, thus limiting the spread of viruses and minimizing the risk of exposure for employees.

Benefits for the patient:

  1. Speed: Self-service is developed with digitalization and automatization in mind, considerably reducing wait times and data processing.
  2. Convenience: Self-service allows patients to complete the check-in process on their own time, without having to wait in line or interact with hospital staff.
  3. Privacy: Self-service can provide patients with a greater sense of privacy as they enter their own information without having to share it with hospital staff.
  4. Efficiency: Self-service can streamline the check-in process, allowing patients to move more quickly through the hospital.
  5. Reduced risk of error: Self-service can reduce the risk of errors that can occur with manual processes, such as incorrect information being entered or insurance issues.
  6. Easy to use: The custom UX and UI kiosk application is intuitive and easy for the patient to understand.
  7. Reduced physical contact limits the spread of viruses and minimizes the risk of exposure for employees.

Additional features that can be added:

  1. Queue management system
  2. Patient statistics analytics
  3. Video call function, contactless service
  4. Filling in questionnaires or other documents
  5. Loyalty program, client database upgrade
  6. Optional facial verification system
  7. Electronic document signing
  8. Identification with third-party services
  9. Access to the patient’s medical records

Results from the first few months

Patient wait times have decreased 6× compared to the regular registry.
The hospitals’ administrative work for patient processing has decreased 2×.

Total patient flow growth at the kiosk terminals over the first five months has increased steadily.

In the first few months, more than 5,000 A4 paper sheets were saved, which is equal to more than 14 saved trees.

January 31, 2023 Uncategorized No comments yet

The underrated importance of queues

Why are queues important?

Nobody likes spending their time in queues, as it is not only a bad customer experience but also an incredible waste of time. An average American spends 113 hours per year in queues, the equivalent of 14 working days. Given that this time could be spent on work, family or leisure, the pressure from consumers on making customer service faster is apprehensible. 

The frustration directly affects consumer behavior – a queue of just 4 minutes will result in 59% of customers leaving and 56% of them will not return to the store where they had this experience. To put it simply, a store with a 4 minute queue is irreversibly losing a third of their revenue.

The average supermarket is losing 1.5 million euros every year to long queues.

StrongPoint

And this applies to industries beyond retail as well, as 82% of all consumers claim that a quick solution of their needs is the number one priority for a good customer experience.

The perception phenomenon

The leading consumer behavior specialists point out that the total time spent on checkout is not the most important aspect. It turns out that the perceived queue time is roughly twice the actual time spent in a queue. Self-service solutions can decrease the perceived queue time as consumers do not perceive the time at the kiosk as time spent in the queue, so even if it takes longer, the customer experience will be better.

What about the skeptics?

While the younger generation is delighted to see self-service becoming the new normal, there are many people who choose the conventional face-to-face experience or feel uncomfortable with using self-service kiosks. Good news for them, self-service kiosks reduce the workload for cashiers making the customer experience better even for those who are not using them. To put this in context – retailers have seen 40% decrease in waiting times after introducing self-service kiosks. This change is enough to decrease lost customers from 59% to 30%, which amounts to 750 thousand of annual revenue captured for the average supermarket.

The bottom line

Being the innovation leader in an industry is not an easy job, however introducing self-service is a question of remaining competitive and surviving. Businesses who introduce self-service solutions improve their profitability, customer retention and satisfaction. Needless to say, these benefits can only be achieved by properly designed self-service – you can read our previous blogs on why and how.

Our team is always working on customer experience improvements, so if you want to make your business better – contact us and our team will reach out with a tailored offer.

December 3, 2020 Uncategorized No comments yet