Hospital, doctors' office kiosks increasingly used for collections

Kiosks still aren't that that common a site in hospital lobbies and doctors' offices, and when they are seen, they're usually used for patient registration. Increasingly, however, providers are going to want to use kiosks to push the revenue cycle management process forward to their first encounter with a patient, observers say.

Kiosks can be tied into a web-based portal, linked with appropriate clinical content and used to establish payment plans and/or set up billing procedures. This is especially important for providers in a world where patients are carrying a lot more of their own healthcare costs, as it makes it more likely the provider will get paid. It also makes it easier for the patient to have a smoother experience and experience fewer financial surprises.

Such payment applications are helping to fuel steady growth in the roster of kiosk makers. Kiosk vendors include GE Heathcare, Siemens, NCR Corp., Healthcare Kiosk Management, DynaTouch, Gokis, MedFusion, McKesson, D2 Sales and Navicure, with many others still emerging. Future directions for kiosks may include giving patients access to their EMR or PHR application as well, analysts say.

To learn more about this trend:
- read this Healthcare Finance News piece

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