Kaiser Permanente deployed its first “KP Self-Service Kiosk” to optimize the patient check-in and payment experience in an innovative project that will include over 60 medical clinics in Southern California. This is one of the largest pilot kiosk projects undertaken by any U.S. healthcare organization, and it is another example of Kaiser Permanente’s market-leading efforts in electronic integration.
Members will have the option of making non-dues payments with their credit and debit cards, updating their personal contact information, and using the “way-finding” feature (which provides a printout with walking directions from the kiosk to the appointment room). The kiosks are also designed to serve a multi-lingual population in languages such as English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
The kiosks are a component of Kaiser Permanente’s HealthConnect, a comprehensive electronic health information system that includes one of the most advanced electronic health records available. Over 90 pilot kiosks will be deployed on a rolling basis by the end of 2008 at over 60 other Kaiser Permanente MOBs spread out across Southern California. Additional kiosk functionality features are planned to an already remarkable device, which received the “2008 Best Hardware/Enclosure Design Award” at the KioskCom Self Service Expo held in Las Vegas in April. There are tentative plans to expand the use of kiosks to Kaiser Permanente medical offices nationwide.
Members will have the option of making non-dues payments with their credit and debit cards, updating their personal contact information, and using the “way-finding” feature (which provides a printout with walking directions from the kiosk to the appointment room). The kiosks are also designed to serve a multi-lingual population in languages such as English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
The kiosks are a component of Kaiser Permanente’s HealthConnect, a comprehensive electronic health information system that includes one of the most advanced electronic health records available. Over 90 pilot kiosks will be deployed on a rolling basis by the end of 2008 at over 60 other Kaiser Permanente MOBs spread out across Southern California. Additional kiosk functionality features are planned to an already remarkable device, which received the “2008 Best Hardware/Enclosure Design Award” at the KioskCom Self Service Expo held in Las Vegas in April. There are tentative plans to expand the use of kiosks to Kaiser Permanente medical offices nationwide.
Our take:
Self-service check-in has made an amazing difference at airports, both lowering costs and improving efficiencies for virtually every airline that has implemented them (see our previous article on Alaska Airlines for an example). We've also seen them gain some traction (again, typically for check-in purposes) in medical clinics, so Kaiser's decision to try them seems sound. The payment option provides a particularly interesting angle, since Kaiser's billing is already all-electronic, and are thus easily accessible. Whether it becomes the preferred method of billing remains to be seen, of course.
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