Patients attending Heartlands Hospital outpatients clinics 1-9 are now able to check themselves in for their appointment, thanks to a pilot project funded by the hospital charity.

Located in the break-out area by pharmacy before the entrance into the outpatients clinic areas, the three state-of-the-art kiosks have been introduced to help reduce the time patients have to wait to register for their appointment.

The easy-to-use kiosks allow patients to book in for their outpatient appointment without having to queue to see a receptionist, simply entering four items of information when prompted. This information links through to the system used by receptionists at the outpatient clinics. The kiosks each offer a range of up to 13 languages and have options for those with visual difficulties.

Patients are still able to choose whether to use the self-check-in kiosks or continue to register for their appointments via the receptionist. The reception staff will still be on-hand to provide assistance and support to those that need it.

Heartlands Hospital’s outpatients manager, Lesley Eastwood, said: “These new kiosks are easy to use and will enhance patients’ experiences in our outpatient department as they will find using the system will help to reduce the amount of time they wait to be booked in for their appointment and time spent in the reception waiting area. Step by step instructions take you through each stage of checking in and you just enter your details on the screen.
“The outpatient clinics are often the first point of contact with the Trust for many patients, so the introduction of these kiosks will give them an improved service, whilst freeing receptionists to spend time with patients that need more help.”

There are plans to introduce a desk so that patients in wheelchairs can easily access a self-check in kiosk and the area leading into outpatients by pharmacy is to be re-modeled to guide people through the outpatient appointment process.