Digital identity verification company Clear is bringing check-in kiosks to Wellstar Health System before it plans to make the technology available to systems that use Epic's electronic health records.
Following a three-month pilot program at Marietta, Georgia-based Wellstar, Clear plans to roll out the kiosks at other facilities that use Epic’s EHR system and charge hospitals for the number of individuals that interface with the technology each year, said David Bardan, general manager and head of healthcare at Clear.
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Kiosks have the ability to reduce office staff workload, patient wait times and inaccurate data entry, proponents say. But patient advocates and technology experts warn the kiosks may be difficult for certain patient demographics to navigate and are less popular than check-ins patients can handle at home. More than 80% of medical practices say the traditional front desk experience as their most common patient check-in method, while only 3% say a kiosk is patients’ main way to check in for an appointment, according to a 2022 poll by the Medical Group Management Association.
Clear, which is known for kiosks commonly used in airports, entered the healthcare space several years ago by partnering with labs to screen individuals for COVID-19. The organization works with dozens of health systems and organizations like b.well Connected Health to authenticate patients and verify their identity at various touch points before they are able to access care.
Wellstar recently launched a pilot program using Clear Verified’s check-in kiosks at its Avalon Health Park facility in Alpharetta, Georgia, and plans to implement the technology at four other health park locations later this year, the organization announced Tuesday.
The health system has 11 hospitals and more than 350 care locations in Georgia and South Carolina, including health parks which offer primary care, urgent care, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatric care, outpatient surgery, medical imaging, lab and physical therapy services.
As part of the kiosk check-in program, patients are prompted through email and text to register with Clear once they schedule an appointment, linking their information and medical history at Wellstar to a new Clear account.
Once patients arrive for an appointment, they can scan their face or use a kiosk’s tablet to take a selfie to verify their identity and check in. While some patients may have to answer a few clinical questions related to their visit, in most instances the kiosks eliminate the need for paperwork, said Dr. Hank Capps, executive vice president, chief information officer and digital officer for Wellstar Health System.
“It’s a convenience and an experience enhancement but it's also a safety enhancement, ensuring that we have the right person connected to the right name and medical record,” Capps said.
The technology was created to work exclusively with Epic’s electronic health record system, matching individuals to verified data points and demographic information stored by the vendor, he said.
As the health system educates patients about the kiosks and gets as many users on board as possible, front desk staff will still be available to check in patients and answer any questions about the new technology, Capps said. Checkouts and follow-ups will also be handled by staff members.
Clear worked closely with Wellstar to develop the technology and determine how patients and staff might engage with the kiosks, said Bardan. All clinical questions posed by the kiosks to patients come from Epic’s Welcome Kiosk, a software application used to capture patient insurance information, file documents and check in patients, he said.
Patients typically take five minutes to check in with front office staff, but those who have made a Clear Verified account can take only 10 to 15 seconds to check in, Bardan said.
Health systems need to consider input from patients and families when implementing these kiosks to make sure the technology is easy to use and questions about a patient’s history or condition make sense, said Martie Carnie, senior patient experience advisor at Brigham and Women's Hospital, located in Boston.
Systems should follow health literacy guidelines and write all instructions and questions in plain language, Carnie said. Kiosk setups should also avoid asking patients questions they have already answered online or in person, she said.
The adoption of kiosk solutions nationwide has been “less than stellar,” said Philip Bradley, digital health strategist with the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
There has been a lot of excitement around the technology, but the kiosks often sit unused by patients once implemented, he said. For many patients, it’s easier to use patient portal technologies on their phones or personal devices to check in virtually, instead of an in-person kiosk.
Older generations often prefer to stick with front desk check-ins due to unfamiliarity with certain technologies and concerns about data privacy, Bradley said.
“People may be uncomfortable standing at a public kiosk and going over their medical history, medications and copay information,” he said.
A 2022 MGMA poll found that most healthcare leaders find kiosks less successful than completely virtual check-in methods or hybrid check-ins where forms are completed digitally and patients still interface with front desk staff.
“Between their lackluster performance historically and the new capabilities of patient portals, kiosks are going to struggle,” Bradley said.
