How touch-screen technology can aid the health industry

This short case study was written by Laurence Kellett on behalf of Protouch and describes the benefits of touch-screen technology when piloted at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Touch-screen technology has quickly become essential in most industries, but in particular the health industry where it could quickly become indispensable.

The benefits of touch-screen technology were evidenced in a pilot scheme operated at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which used touch-screen kiosks in its blood department with the aim of improving the service. There were noticeable improvements in three areas.

Reduced waiting times

A problem that has plagued hospitals for countless years is lengthy waiting times. With the use of an automated kiosk system at Nottingham University Hospitals, patients were seen more promptly and the number of patients who left without service fell dramatically.

Improved workload balance

In all medical departments a number of different services are provided, and the blood department at Nottingham University Hospitals is no exception. The introduction of a touch-screen automated kiosk system allowed staff to have a complete and thorough overview of their current workload and meant that managers found it easier to distribute tasks in a fair and balanced manner. Staff found that their workloads were more balanced and a more flexible working arrangement introduced.

Better patient experience

The introduction of the advanced kiosk queuing system drastically improved patient experience. One of the main benefits was the removal of the language barrier that can occur between staff and patients. The implementation of an automated queuing system in multiple languages meant that staff were able to quickly establish what treatment a patient needed, cutting many hours off what had previously been a time-consuming and frustrating process.