Self-measurement kiosk: added value for staff and patients
The staff at the clinic are enthusiastic. We estimate that we have freed up approximately half a full-time equivalent (FTE) by using the Alviscan. That time is now spent on other tasks. HagaZiekenhuis regularly implements innovative healthcare measures. In this context, the self-measurement kiosk Alviscan was recently installed.
HagaZiekenhuis opts for labor-saving innovation with Alviscan
“One of the most enjoyable reactions? A patient who said, ‘This is a much more modern hospital!’ That’s exactly what we stand for, innovation, which we consider important. But the staff at the outpatient clinic are also enthusiastic. We estimate that we have freed up approximately half a full-time equivalent (FTE) by using the Alviscan. That time is now spent on other tasks.” These are the words of Leendert-jan Doornbos, innovation coach at HagaZiekenhuis. This top clinical hospital regularly implements innovative healthcare measures. In this context, the self-measurement kiosk Alviscan was recently installed. Leendert-jan was the driving force behind this project. He shares how the Alviscan has been received and how it has improved workflow.
Labor-saving innovation
“For HagaZiekenhuis, substantive and organizational healthcare innovation is a core value,” Leendert-jan explains. “As an innovation coach, I support colleagues involved in innovation. HagaZiekenhuis had been interested in a self-measurement kiosk for some time. This coincided with a request from the work floor: could certain tasks not be automated, such as measuring vital signs? We took this call for labor-saving innovation very seriously.”
HagaZiekenhuis chose the Alviscan from Alphatron Medical, an innovative solution that allows patients to independently measure their vital signs before consultations. The self-measurement kiosk was placed in the hospital’s innovation lab and has actually never left since. Leendert-jan adds, “We immediately saw: this can help us with the labor shortage problem in the future.”
Perfect use case
The self-measurement kiosk is located in the gynecology outpatient clinic. This department urgently needed an automated blood pressure check. “The advantage of this situation is that patients in this clinic have virtually no obstructive conditions for a blood pressure measurement,” explains the innovation coach. “This gave us the opportunity to see what the kiosk did and which parameters we still found important.”
Blood pressure measurement is most important in the clinic, but weight is also interesting; in pregnant women, this is an important part of screening. And so, the Alviscan was set up as a self-measurement kiosk for automatic blood pressure and weight checks, although Leendert-jan does not rule out the addition of other functions to the kiosk in the future. “For now, it’s a perfect use case. Moreover, HagaZiekenhuis can offer a nice piece of innovation in the gynecology outpatient clinic.”
Leendert-jan Doornbos
Innovation coach
Half FTE freed up
The Alviscan is currently operating as a light version; integration with the electronic health record (EHR) will be realized later. The doctor manually enters the values measured by the Alviscan. However, this already significantly reduces workload. Leendert-jan explains, “The medical assistants have more time for other tasks, they are very happy and literally said, ‘We don’t want to be without it anymore!’ And the medical specialists find that the consultation hours run more smoothly.”
“The Alviscan takes a lot of work off our hands. In the gynecology outpatient clinic, someone used to spend about two and a half to three hours per session measuring blood pressure. That is no longer necessary. 97 percent of the patients use the self-measurement kiosk without any problems; the kiosk is very user-friendly. Also, because the Alviscan uses clear images, video instructions, and icons. Less words, more images, which makes a huge difference.”
An important added value of this innovation is that patients are actively involved in the healthcare process, according to Leendert-jan. “Patients perform the measurements themselves. The Alviscan encourages them to take a seat, to start measuring. An electronic blood pressure monitor doesn’t have that feature. And now we immediately get a weight measurement as well, which is great.”