GP practice Sarphatipark

General Practitioner Practice Sarphatipark is located in De Pijp: a vibrant neighborhood in the center of Amsterdam. This practice employs 5 permanent general practitioners, serving primarily local residents but also catering to expatriates and students. Within the practice, there is a registration kiosk integrated with Bricks software by Tetra.

The decision to implement a registration system was driven by the practice's aim to alleviate the workload of its assistants. Dr. Johannes de Boer, a general practitioner, explains: "We found a registration system to be innovative, offering a promising solution to save time. Additionally, it allowed us to establish clear patient routing within the practice, ensuring patients know exactly what steps to follow and where to wait."

Improved practice routing

Previously, patients would proceed directly to the waiting area, with only those visiting the reception desk manually registered by the assistant. This approach had two drawbacks: assistants still spent time manually registering patients, and they were frequently interrupted by uncertain patients wondering if the doctor was aware of their presence.

The new practice routing entails every patient self-registering at the kiosk. If a patient approaches the reception desk first, the assistant can politely redirect them to the registration kiosk. Dr. Johannes de Boer notes, "While the assistant still experiences interruptions, they occur less frequently and consume less time."

Reduced reception desk burden and staffing flexibility

This outcome can be quantitatively supported by research conducted by Wachtkamerschermen®, which conducted pre- and post-implementation assessments at Sarphatipark General Practitioner Practice. Results indicate a 75% reduction in instances of assistant interruption and an 81% decrease in total time the assistant spends disrupted during their duties since the introduction of the registration kiosk. Consequently, assistants can better focus on their tasks or provide more attention to patients in need.

Another benefit of the registration system is that the reception desk doesn't need to be continuously staffed. With evening consultation hours, the practice previously lacked visibility on who was present. Now, with every patient registering via the kiosk, the doctors have real-time insight into attendance.

Combination with digital signage screen

Dr. Johannes de Boer explains that they combine the registration system with the call feature of the digital signage screen of Wachtkamerschermen®. After successful registration at the kiosk, a message prompts patients to monitor the digital signage screen. A brief sound and pop-up window display the patient's name and the designated consultation room. Dr. Johannes clarifies, "To uphold patient privacy, the call display is brief. Initially, we received comments, but patients now understand that this approach optimizes efficiency."

Assistants express regret over fewer patient interactions but acknowledge the benefit of uninterrupted work and reduced staffing demands. "These are choices we've had to make amidst high workload and staffing shortages. Overall, we are pleased with our registration system; it meets our expectations entirely."