Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust has put in an order for five touch-screen kiosks in an effort to cut wait times and free up reception and nursing staff at the Darent Valley Hospital.
 
The trust has ordered three Savience self-service kiosks for outpatient reception and two for its fracture clinic for patients to check in for appointments automatically and update their demographic details. Officials at the trust expect this approach to check-in will improve patient experience and hospital workflows.

The installation is also part of a drive to cut did-not-attend (DNA) rates. “Poor demographic information is a significant problem, which the new system will help overcome,” said Paul Wilson, the trust’s outpatient project manager. “The Savience system will help to minimize DNA rates and contribute to a sizable reduction in lost revenue.”
 
The trust has additional plans that include introducing SMS text messaging and email reminders, again using details entered by patients via the kiosks.
 
Equipped with built-in printers, the kiosks print off a patient’s call number and appointment details. Eight new plasma screens to support patient calling and the use of call numbers is expected to help protect patient confidentiality.
 
“The system will enable the reception staff to concentrate on the important end of pathway processes such as outcomes, follow-on appointments and coding as well as allowing them to devote more time to patients that need help," said Wilson. "It will also lead to more effective use of nursing time, as nurses will spend far less time finding and escorting patients.”
 
A subsequent phase of the project is to interface the kiosks with the trust’s patient administration system to update patient details automatically.
 
“We continue to work closely with Darent Valley to identify innovative solutions to increase efficiency, improve patient satisfaction and reduce costs,” said Adrian Stevens, managing director of iSOFT’s UK and Ireland business.