In 2022, Erasmus MC became the first hospital in the Netherlands to introduce the Alviscan selfmeasurement kiosk. In late 2023, they took it a step further by connecting it with HiX, their EHR.
A milestone for Erasmus MC
The Alviscan is located in the anesthesiology department and is used by 80% of the patients. Most of them are delighted to be able to measure their own saturation, heart rate, blood pressure, height and weight. Inge de Leeuw, the department manager, understands why: “Some patients start with the surgeon and end up in anesthesiology two or three hours later. Being able to do something independently is perceived as highly positive.”
“By self-measuring, we save about 5 minutes of work per patient. That results in over 1100 hours of time saved per year.”
Inge de Leeuw, Department Manager Anesthesiology, Erasmus MC (NL)
More efficient workflow
Thanks to the integration with their EHR, the Alviscan automatically stores all measurement data in the correct patient record.
Kees Brobbel, information manager, explains: “Previously, the results were printed, brought to the outpatient assistants, and manually entered into the EHR. With this development, that is now a thing of the past.”
More time for personal care
Inge adds, “This leads to a reduction in workload for the staff at the outpatient clinic. Additionally, it prevents input errors. That is undoubtedly a significant added value. It truly enhances the quality.”
The outpatient clinic staff is also enthusiastic about the self-measurement feature. It saves about 5 minutes of work per patient, which adds up to over 1100 hours of time saved per year. Inge explains, “Considering the increasing demand for healthcare, we might have needed more staff. However, thanks to the Alviscan, that is not currently the case. Our colleagues can now take on other tasks thanks to the Alviscan.”
Turn waiting time into valuable time
In the long run, there could be more benefits. Niels Hulshoff, Functional Management Advisor, suggests, “In the waiting area, patients often have to wait for blood collection or to pick up medication. Imagine if we also had an Alviscan there. We could use these patients’ time more efficiently. On an organizational level, this would result in significant time savings. It would further reduce potential errors. I consider that a great next step!”