Doctors: Computers in the lobby go a long, long way

So, a new IBM study suggests this week that patients are less likely to come back for wellness visits because they're annoyed by having to fill in repetitive paperwork. Sure, IBM and other tech vendors are going to promote studies that encourage you to spend money on technology--so I understand if you're skeptical--but I think there's something worth thinking about here.

It's as simple as this: Most people, these days, have very little reason to write anything lengthy out by hand unless they're filling out a form in a doctor's office (other than, perhaps, when they apply for a job). So when you put a form in front of them, it's an annoying, painful exercise in remembering how to write legibly for most of us cranky patients.

On the other hand, what if you put a few dirt-cheap, older-model laptops (or even cheaper PCs) in your front office and let people type and check off check boxes when they needed to fill out forms? Things could look very different. 

If your practice management system allowed it, patients could probably enter their data straight into your system, saving your office staff much time and energy and improving the quality of your data. Even if it doesn't, or you didn't want to set that up, you could just print the forms they created and re-enter what they did. At worst, they'd be happier, the information they provided would be more readable and probably, the forms would get filled in more quickly in most cases.

Besides, when idle, these same PCs or laptops could be used to advertise new services your practice is offering (such as laser hair removal), could offer access to medical information through your web connection (very simple if you have a wireless network) and so on. None of this is rocket science, to say the least. Hey, by setting up a simple web form, patients could schedule their own laser hair removal, massage or Botox appointments, and up your revenue without your having to lift a finger or tie up your staff!

Not only that, you might get more candid feedback on your practice's performance if you put forms on computers like this. When patients are just killing time, they're more likely to take a moment and tell you the truth about issues that don't come up in a clinical exam.

I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get the point. There's tons of opportunities here. What surprises me is that so few practices are doing this already. If you are trying something like this, would you drop me a line and tell me how it's been going? - Anne

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