General Practice Noordzij

General Practice Noordzij is part of the Duitslandlaan Health Center, located in Heemskerk, North Holland. The practice employs 2 general practitioners and 1 GP trainee.

We spoke with Marie-José, the receptionist at the practice, about her experiences with the registration kiosk. She mentioned that one of the GPs, Chris Noordzij, decided to implement a registration kiosk in the practice: “We wanted better visibility of which patients are already in the waiting room. The reception where I sit is downstairs, and the medical assistants are upstairs. In the morning, they answer incoming calls and treat patients. The registration kiosk offers a great solution for keeping an overview.”

Fewer patients at the front desk

In addition to maintaining oversight, the registration kiosk has also reduced the number of patients coming to the reception. Marie-José explains: “There are still patients who come to the reception, but it has decreased. They come if they don’t know how to use the kiosk, if the check-in fails, or to make a follow-up appointment.” She expects even fewer patients to come to the reception in the future: “It’s a matter of getting used to it. Many patients have used a registration  or check-in kiosk at the hospital before. When they see a similar kiosk at the GP, they recognize it and are more likely to use it.”

Positive responses

Patients generally respond positively to the registration kiosk: “Young people are accustomed to it and check in immediately via the kiosk. The older generation is more divided. Some find it impersonal, but others are fine with it.” Marie-José notes that older patients, in particular, have some difficulty entering their birth date. Sometimes they don’t understand which date to enter (appointment date or birth date). She suggests that it would help if it were clearly stated that the birth date needs to be entered. Wachtkamerschermen® is considering her feedback in the further development of the registration system.

Misunderstandings are avoided

To prepare patients for the registration kiosk, the practice has posted a news article on their website. This article explains that the registration kiosk has benefits for both the practice and the patient. The practice can see that the patient is waiting and can help them faster. For the patient, it is immediately clear if there is an error with the appointment, such as if it was scheduled on the wrong day or time. “If patients have made a mistake with their appointment, the kiosk gives a notification, thus preventing misunderstandings,” says Marie-José.

Finally, Marie-José expresses their satisfaction with the registration kiosk of Wachtkamerschermen®: “We now have an overview of who is in the waiting room. That was our main reason for acquiring a registration kiosk. And it works excellently!”