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OTech checks its customers into streamlined registration with Ambir Solution
02/21/07

Solution Provider: OTech Group, LLC

Facility: of Lake Forest Pediatric Associates

Location: Lake Forest, Illinois

Challenge: Costly, time-consuming, error-prone paper-based registration process; patient frustration

Solution: Ambir DS485 Duplex Scanner, SP15BL-PS SigPad

Implementation: July 2006

OTech checks its customers into streamlined registration with Ambir solutions

During the past decade, with businesses striving to maximize their efficiencies and increase customer satisfaction, self-service check-in/check-out systems have become more and more prevalent. Businesses have quickly discovered that not only are these systems saving them significant amounts of money, but through their use, customers are taking greater pleasure in their shopping/hospitality experience.

Today, it is uncommon for a person to go through their day without encountering one of these “do-it-yourself” systems at the supermarket, hardware store, airport, bank or hotel. More recently, these systems are popping up in the healthcare market, where paper-based methods have been the standard and lengthy patient wait times have been the norm.

West Bend, Wisconsin-based OTech Group, LLC, develops self check-in kiosk solutions for physician offices and outpatient hospital departments and has seen the positive differences its products have made for both the staff and patients at these facilities. However, it took the right combination of technologies for OTech to develop a solution that would best meet its customers’ needs.

The Challenge

In healthcare facilities, the patient registration process has traditionally utilized paper-based methods to alert the arrival of patients, update medical and insurance records, and secure co-payments or any outstanding balances. With these methods comes the risk of patient misidentification and errors resulting from the duplicate manual entry of patient data. All of these authorization forms and photocopies of insurance cards and driver’s licenses need to be manually signed and stored in a facility’s medical records or scanned into its document imaging system. This work necessitates extra staff, which must be meticulous and reliable, while at the same time affordable – a difficult task for any employer.

From the patient’s perspective, a healthcare facility’s paper-based methods create unwanted frustration and stress in a time when they seek expedited relief and comfort. More paperwork equates to increased congestion at the front desk, longer wait times and greater aggravation.

How could these paper-based predicaments be avoided? OTech CEO Bruce Steinhardt stumbled upon the solution during an average day out. “I was checking in at the airport to attend a conference and shortly thereafter checked myself out at a Home Depot,” he said, “and it clicked that there needed to be a way to bring this technology to medical practices.”

The Solution

With a self-service system in mind, Steinhardt hit the Internet and came upon a handful of vendors whose products were relevant to his idea. After the OTech team’s evaluation, Steinhardt chose Ambir Technology, a developer of scanner, electronic signature and digital imaging software solutions. “We tested various types of insurance cards and felt that Ambir scanners best handled the documents, and that the options within the software development kit would make integration within our self check-in kiosk system the most appropriate.”

Ambir’s DS485-SS Duplex document and ID scanner allows patients to scan a copy of their insurance card or driver’s license with a single pass, while the SP15BL-PS pressure-sensitive signature pad (SigPad™) allows them to sign various authorization forms – all within one minute. In addition, the touch screen provides practices a means to survey patients or have them verify/update medical history records and demographic information. All of this information is captured and can be automatically stored in an organization’s electronic medical records system, eliminating the need for staff to manually re-enter data and reducing the risk of clerical errors. Providers also can quickly and easily access information they need to effectively treat patients.

The Ambir Technology products, along with the OTech kiosk, delivered the exact type of solution healthcare facilities had been hoping for to help them move away from paper-based methods and streamline and improve the patient check-in process.

Healthcare facility staffs have consistently indicated a number of objectives they hope to meet with this new technology. According to Steinhardt, the basic goals were to put an end to lines at the registration desk, increase collections, reduce staff costs and give patients a high-tech impression of the practice. Lisa MacNair, director of Lake Forest Pediatric Associates, Ltd. (LFPA), in Lake Forest, Illinois, reiterated Steinhardt’s comments and went even further. “Our primary objectives were to obtain appropriate staffing levels and make our check-in process more efficient from an operational standpoint, while offering up-to-date customer services,” she said. “We looked at the tasks involved in check-in and adjunct responsibilities and determined that with the self check-in kiosk, we could reduce our staff by one and shift functions to different or more appropriate positions.”

The Self Check-in Kiosk has allowed LFPA to easily meet these objectives. According to MacNair, they’ve reduced their staff and have not had to replace staff after termination. Patient satisfaction is high based on a survey administered on the kiosks to 200 patients. In addition, productivity has improved “because the right function is being performed in the right department or by the right staff member and multi-tasking is achieved,” she said.

Ambir’s scanner technology, which digitally captures the image and information from forms of identification, has allowed OTech’s kiosk to deliver key benefits to its customers. “Before the addition of the DS485-SS, any patient who had a change of insurance could not complete the check-in at the kiosk and was diverted to a staff person,” said Steinhardt. “With the scanner in place, patients can now complete a short questionnaire on the kiosk to assure that the new coverage is a replacement for the existing coverage and then scan the insurance card. The image can then be emailed, printed or stored to a file server or image system.” With fewer patients competing for their attention regarding insurance, medical history records and payments, medical staff has more time to devote to other priorities, including patients who require special attention.

The SigPad also has brought new advantages to OTech’s customers. “Each practice has patients sign various authorization forms and, with the combination of the OTech Self Check-In Kiosk System software and the SigPad, we can display the form and easily capture a digital signature.” said Steinhardt.

According to MacNair, her practice also has realized benefits when it comes to payments. “We have improved our collections of prior balances by 35% and reduced the patient due accounts/receivables,” she said. “Ninety percent of our patients pay co-pays at the time of service and an even higher percentage is collected when using the kiosk.”

The reaction from LFPA patients has been overwhelmingly positive. “Patients perceive that we are innovative and like the control of self check-in along with the sense of confidentiality. There is no public discussion of balances due. It stays between the screen and the parent. Parents can quickly check in, leaving children ‘unattended’ for less time.”

Because the kiosk interfaces with LFPA’s patient operations management and information system, patients are automatically logged in and the nurse sometimes calls them before they even have a chance to sit in the waiting area.

Further cementing the kiosk’s endorsement, one of OTech’s customers saw a 96% positive response rate in a customer service survey it placed on the kiosk, asking patients if it was easy to use, if they would use it again and if they would like to see it at the practice’s other locations.

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OTech checks its customers into streamlined registration with Ambir Solution 02/21/07

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OTech checks its customers into streamlined registration with Ambir Solution
02/21/07