Medical Centre Lindenheuvel

At Lindenheuvel Medical Centre in Geleen, the registration system from Wachtkamerschermen® is used. The self-service kiosk is integrated with Bricks Huisarts, the information system for GPs from Tetra.

Solution for increasingly long queues

The reason for contacting Wachtkamerschermen® was the ever-growing queues at the reception desk. The medical centre was looking for a way to direct patients to the waiting area without needing them to check in at the reception desk, while still being registered as 'present.'

Suitable for people with low literacy

The registration system needed to comply with GDPR (privacy) guidelines and accommodate patients who have difficulty reading and/or writing (low literacy). Therefore, they opted for the version where the patient simply registers by entering their date of birth. If the date of birth results in multiple matches, a follow-up question asks the patient to enter their postcode and house number (a final step could be entering their name). Once the registration is complete, the patient can proceed directly to the waiting room. The patient's presence is recorded in Bricks so the assistant is always aware of who is in the waiting room.

Positive patient feedback

Patients responded positively to the registration system, partly because self-service kiosks are becoming more socially accepted. Think of checking in at the hospital or placing an order via a kiosk in a fast-food restaurant. The practice manager of Lindenheuvel explains: "Patients are becoming more familiar with digitalisation through e-Health applications such as online access to their medical records or making appointments online. We were surprised by the high number of patients using the registration kiosk, even without any instruction or explanation. This alone confirms that choosing a digital registration system was a good decision!"

Registration via self-service kiosk shortens waiting times

Moreover, patients who register via the self-service kiosk have shorter waiting times: "Previously, patients might have had to wait at the reception desk until the assistant could attend to them. Now they can register immediately upon arrival and proceed straight to the waiting room. This eliminates unnecessary waiting and appears much more customer-friendly. If a patient prefers personal contact, they can still go to the reception desk to register. That is also no problem for us."

Reduced workload for assistants

In addition to avoiding unnecessary waiting, the registration system significantly reduces the workload for assistants. With fewer people at the reception desk, more time can be spent on other tasks, such as attending to patients who come to the desk with questions or requests. Additionally, the quality of phone conversations between patients and assistants has improved because the assistant can ask more in-depth questions on the phone. This leads to better triage, which positively affects the doctor's consultation, as they can better understand the patient's (health) situation.

Personal contact not lost

Finally, we asked the practice manager to respond to the common prejudice that personal contact with the patient is lost with a digital registration system. She explains that there is a growing group of patients who find personal contact during registration less important, as long as the consultation with the doctor is of high quality. This fits perfectly with the philosophy of Lindenheuvel Medical Centre: better quality of care through an integrated and patient-focused approach. It's great to see that Wachtkamerschermen®'s digital registration system contributes to this!