Used to be, the only healthcare kiosks people came in contact with were those big blood pressure monitors found in drug stores. Today kiosks are being used to collect and analyze a much wider array of information. In hospitals, medical offices and waiting rooms, the convenient and user-friendly tablet kiosk is making it easier to take better care of patients.
Customizing Information
Most people are familiar with the typical standardized form in a doctor’s office. They are designed to gather information to give a general picture of the patient’s history and current health. Usually, they function only as a jumping-off point for the health care provider, who must ask more detailed questions than the form allows just to figure out what the problem is and how to treat it. The benefit of starting this process on a tablet kiosk is that a good program will be far more interactive, can ask more probing questions based on patient response, and come up with a more complete and personal patient report.
Customizing Experience
Tablet kiosks in healthcare can minimize stress for people who have difficulty communicating their health issues. A well-designed interface can help a patient make connections between their problem and treatment by leading the patient down a focused path. This can be particularly empowering with elderly patients who have trouble taking action in their own care. For many others, this information technology is already a part of their everyday lives, so the tablet just makes sense.
Maintaining Privacy
Patients who might already feel vulnerable do not need to worry about protecting their privacy in a crowded waiting room. Tablets have small enough screens to allow the patient to feel secure sharing sensitive information in a public space. Software is available with HIPPA-compliant interfaces which protect collected data.
Lowering Healthcare Costs
Wasted time and human error are two of the costliest threats to affordable healthcare management. The tablet kiosk increases efficiency by creating a more thorough profile for the patient, which makes it easier for a health care provider to arrive at the right treatment quicker. By connecting to a database, wireless tablets can stop prescription errors before they can occur. Having kiosks available allow people to stop wasting time in long lines and in waiting room chairs, and get the treatment that will help them feel better, faster.
A tablet kiosk is a great step toward significantly improving patient outcome at the doctor’s office. With its ability to collect more focused personal information, decrease wait times, and prevent error, the tablet kiosk is making the healthcare experience better for providers and patients alike.
