How Patient Check-In Kiosks are Solving Staffing Challenges in Healthcare

Staffing front desks at healthcare practices has never been more challenging. The widespread shortage of healthcare workers has made it especially difficult for large healthcare facilities to ensure a streamlined patient check-in process — and the problem may only worsen. Like many other positions across the healthcare continuum, it is essential to ensure that patients receive the care they need in a timely and efficient manner.  

The demand for healthcare services is increasing due to an aging population and the prevalence of chronic diseases, while the number of healthcare workers is not keeping up with this demand. The World Health Organization predicts a shortfall of 15 million healthcare workers worldwide in 2030. 

As healthcare practices continue to grapple with staffing issues, many are turning to technology for solutions.  In recent years, patient check-in kiosks have emerged as a potential solution to help alleviate some of the staffing challenges and improve the patient experience. 

Patient Check-in Kiosks can help with staffing challenges

Patient check-in kiosks can help large healthcare practices cope with staffing issues in a number of ways, from reducing workload for front desk staff to improving efficiency and patient experience. Let’s take a closer look at how patient check-in kiosks are helping large healthcare practices with ongoing staffing issues.

Reducing workload for front desk staff

One of the most significant benefits of patient check-in kiosks is that they can reduce the workload for front desk staff. By automating the check-in process, patient kiosks can free up front desk staff to focus on other tasks, such as answering phones, scheduling appointments, and processing insurance claims. This can help alleviate some of the workload and stress that front desk staff may experience, making the workplace more attractive to job candidates.

The reduced workload can also help reduce burnout and turnover rates among front desk staff. Front desk staff in healthcare practices can experience a lot of stress and pressure, especially during busy periods. According to this survey, burnout rates reached 60% and intent to leave a job rose to 40%. By automating the check-in process, patient kiosks can help reduce the burden on front desk staff and create a more balanced workload, which can help reduce burnout and turnover.

Improving efficiency

Patient check-in kiosks can also help improve efficiency in large healthcare practices. These kiosks can process patient information much faster than a human could, which can reduce wait times and help patients get seen by their healthcare provider more quickly. This can be especially important in busy healthcare facilities where staff may be stretched thin like hospitals and urgent care clinics.

With patient check-in kiosks, patients can quickly update their personal and medical information, review their appointment details, and even make co-payments. This can help reduce the amount of time patients spend waiting to be seen by their healthcare provider and can make the entire check-in process much more efficient.

For example, with Aila’s Interactive Kiosk, large healthcare providers are able to reduce patient wait times by 80%. Patients can complete their intake process in less than five minuts by simply scanning their IDs, insurance cards or mobile phones to complete the check-in process.

Improving patient experience

Another benefit of patient check-in kiosks is that they can improve the patient experience. Patient kiosks provide patients with a more streamlined and convenient check-in process. Checking in can be as easy as scanning a QR code from their mobile device to complete the check-in process. This can help reduce frustration and anxiety for patients and make them more likely to return to the healthcare facility for future appointments.

The improved patient experience can also help reduce patient no-shows, which can be a significant challenge for large healthcare practices. When patients have a negative experience during the check-in process, they may be less likely to return to the healthcare facility for future appointments. Patient kiosks can help improve the patient experience, which can help reduce patient no-shows and improve patient retention rates.

Cost savings

Finally, patient check-in kiosks can help large healthcare practices save money. By replacing rote manual processes such as paper-based intake, patient kiosks can help reduce billing and insurance processing errors, saving large practices millions. A study from Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety, uncovered some 62,000 medical errors, which were responsible for over $617 million in excess healthcare insurance claims in just one year.

With patient kiosks, healthcare practices can also reduce the number of staff required to manage the check-in process. This can help reduce staffing costs, which can be a significant expense for large healthcare practices. Instead, practices can redirect staff to provide higher-value services, resulting in better outcomes for both patients and healthcare facilities. 

Contact us to learn more about how patient check-in kiosks can help your large healthcare facility cope with staffing challenges.