Machine to machine communication creates proactive solutions in the healthcare industry by reducing or eliminating lines, while increasing accuracy, and enhancing the patient experience. Hospitals have embraced IoT to some extent with scanners and mobile computers. We can help with that, but there is so much more that could be done to truly bring healthcare up to 4.0 and improve the patient experience. Let’s take a look at current processes vs what a hospital visit could look like.

Going to the Hospital Today

I’m sick, so sick, I go to the doctor. I fill out the paperwork, pay my copay, and sit down. The doctor says, your fever is very high you should go to the hospital. So I do. I stand and wait in line with other very sick patients and healthy patients that I’m a risk to. One of them is coughing. I’m not coughing. Now I’m concerned. When I get up to the counter I’m asked to continue to stand there and use a pen that other sick and healthy people will be using to fill out paperwork. I use sanitizer and look sideways at the person next to me. Then I’m asked to sit next to all the other sick people until a room is ready. I sit for an hour and a half. We’ve all experienced this, but what if it didn’t have to be that way?

Alternatively

I’m sick, so sick, so I go to the doctor. Since this is my first visit I’m asked to fill out paperwork, but there was an extra question on this form. ‘What is your license plate number?’  The doctor says, your fever is very high you should go to the hospital. I go to the hospital, and to my surprise, after pulling into parking lot I receive a text message. It says I’ve been checked in and instructs me to wait in the car. After waiting a while I get an alert that it’s my turn to come inside. I walk into an empty waiting room with a row of kiosks. I walk up to one of them and am prompted to give a security answer to let staff know I’ve arrived in the building. I do this and a nurse comes to get me. When I get into the room there is a wall-mounted kiosk. It allows me to answer my security questions again to log in. While I wait for the doctor, I’m able to read custom content related to my visit, such as immunizations and diet options if I am there for a physical. Mostly I’m surprised that during this whole visit, I was not asked to sit or stand next to anyone who was coughing.

Other Value

LPR systems working together with smart kiosks and digital signage greatly reduced the risk of me infecting another patient or infecting staff or a healthy person. It’s also just a far more pleasant experience than the classic jam-packed waiting room scenario. In addition to these solutions, omniQ provides doctor and nurse style cards, medical computers, and more.