How Does Digital Check-in Improve Efficiency?

We can no longer ignore the technological advancement. As a society, we have progressed leaps and bounds within the last 5, 10, 20 years and it shows in every facet of our day to day lives. Healthcare is no different. By now, it is likely that you have used or have at least seen a digital check-in solution at a physician’s practice.

What is digital check-in?

Digital check-in can be done through multiple mediums. Some practices use tablets or phones, while others use thumbprint scanners and touchscreen computers. Either way you spin it – this process  eliminates the need to wait an extraneous amount of time to “check-in” for your appointment. Most patients find that the checking in for an appointment is tedious and wastes time when they are consistently repeating the same information. Checking in for an appointment is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be cumbersome or frustrating.

Digital check-in allows patients to perform the following tasks…

• Self-schedule
• Pre-register and check-in
• Confirm, cancel, or reschedule appointments
• Make a payment
• Receive reminders regarding appointments

What can digital check in do for providers?

Reduce Wait Time

Let’s face it… sometimes our front office staff gets slammed with work. Digital check-in is one sure fire way to improve efficiency and cut back on ridiculous wait time for your patients. With digital check-ins, patients are able to simply enter your office, take a seat, and take out their own device and check in for their appointment. There information is then directly imported into your practice management system which eliminates manual entry work for your team. Also, this provides your patients with something to focus their time on while they wait for a member of your care team to assist them! This has the potential to boost overall patient satisfaction at your practice.

Secure Access

These systems operate through a provider’s EHR system. Due to this, they provide secure access to patients while they proceed through the registration process. Patients can rest assured knowing that their personal information is safe within their provider’s EHR software. Patients also have the ability to access their health records from the kiosk, look up directions, and reference any future appointments they have scheduled at the office.

Improving the Patient Experience

Not only will digital check-in reduce burden on your front office staff, it will also increase patient satisfaction. Patients have the opportunity to participate and double check all of their own information before being seen by their provider. Eliminating the amount of time spent on upfront administrative tasks enables practices to spend more time on patient care. This alone aids in increasing patient face time which leads to happier patients.

Digital check-in has the potential to improve practice efficiencies in a number of ways. We named three, but it is important to note that it can also increase compliance, automate outreach, reduce no-shows, and more. What’s holding your practice back?

Are you interested in a digital check-in solution for your practice? MicroMD has partnered with Chadis – the solution is available NOW and will soon be fully integrated. Visit us today at micromd.com or call us for more information.