Many reports and documentaries state that our health system is not moving with the times.

The general public are continuously urging the Government to look into the health service and find where improvements can be made.

One very grey area, which is overlooked by many Government departments, is the use of technologies in coordination with patients’ medical records, and how it can further improve the quality, safety and efficiency of care.

And it’s not just patient medical records that new self service systems can help. If implemented into the health system correctly, health care providers can overcome longstanding hurdles to the successful exchange of health information and meet the challenges of an increasingly complex environment through self service kiosks.

One of the prime examples and problems that the health care industry faces when going digital is determining what to do with all the paper forms that contain vital patient information.

Patient check-in processes creates numerous forms for each patients, including consent and privacy documents which can easily be avoided if kiosks are implemented in their place.

Many medical companies have managed to deluge of paper by scanning or re-entering the data into the medical record, but this practice increases the potential for error and minimises the cost and efficiency that kiosks provide.

If patients are able to register though kiosks and online applications, health care providers are able to capture patient information electronically from the very beginning of an encounter.

This instantly eliminates the need for duplicate data entry and creates a seamless flow of patient information from check-in through treatment and beyond.

In the US alone, more than 200 health care organisations are using self service to eliminate paper forms. One health system estimates that it will save 30 million sheets of paper in 2009 alone though the deployment and use of self service systems and kiosks.

Making the patient registration process automatic can also have a significant impact on efficiency. Self service systems can facilitate the use and exchange of patient information and reduce wait times, which are shown to be 75 per cent shorter when self service technology is in use.

According to a recent survey conducted by Buzzback Research, patients are ready for the change to self service. 72 per cent of US consumers said they are more likely to select a health care provider that offers the ability to interact via online, mobile and kiosk self service channels.

Giving patients the ability to enter and verify their own health information electronically results in fewer errors, improved data quality and ultimately, better care. For example, reviewing and signing consent documents via a kiosk leads to a more comprehensive, consistent informed consent process that better educates patients about procedures and enhances overall safety.

And as the health care industry begins to embrace patients use of IT and self service systems, the more the benefits will start to show for both the health care industry and the patients.

Already, the growth of self service in other industries such as retail, banking and travel further reinforces the productivity and cost gains that self-service delivers and creates a model for how the technology can improve efficiency, lower costs and improve patient experience.

For more information about implementing a kiosk into your business, visit www.protouch.co.uk