Gokis Kiosk Self-Service

Insurance company Kaiser Permanente offers cash to Colorado adults for losing weight

Twelve kiosks with scales and a video camera to record progress are located in medical facilities, recreation centers, libraries and even a furniture store throughout the state.

Insurance company Kaiser Permanente offers cash to Colorado adults for losing weight - The Washington Post

DENVER — Insurance company Kaiser Permanente Colorado is offering cash to Coloradans to lose weight and keep it off.

Companies have been making similar offers to their employees for years as a way to reduce obesity in the workplace and lower health costs, but Kaiser is taking it one step further and making the offer to any adult in Colorado.

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It’s one of the first programs in the nation to make such an offer to all adults.

Participants in the “Weigh and Win” program earn anywhere from $15 to $150 every three months to lose weight and keep it off.

Twelve kiosks with scales and a video camera to record progress are located in medical facilities, recreation centers, libraries and even a furniture store throughout the state.

The insurer is spending $500,000 to help jump start the program, which it hopes will eventually be funded by the cities and other health care groups that it’s working with.

Kaiser hopes to expand Weigh and Win by adding 10 kiosks next year as part of its community outreach programs.

“Weight loss is as effective as mammograms, or colon cancer screenings or blood pressure control when you speak about the amount of dollars you spend for the life years you gain from the program,” said Dr. Eric France, who’s in charge of developing the program at the insurer.

“And from the medical perspective, losing about 5 percent body weight is considered valuable and helpful,” said France, Kaiser’s chief of population care and prevention services.

About 8,900 Coloradans have signed up since the program began in April. The average weight loss has been about 12 pounds.

Tanya Amaro, a pediatrics nurse practitioner at Denver Health Medical Center, checks in every week at the kiosk in the hospital’s cafeteria. She began her quest to lose weight last November, losing about 27 pounds on her own, and found that she couldn’t lose any more. She has lost an additional 37 pounds through the program, earning her $75 since May.

“It’s pretty cool,” she said.

She found the grocery store shopping lists; recipes for low-fat, healthy meals; and a workout regime from a personal trainer assigned to her through the program helpful in breaking through the plateau she had reached.

“Not just that I need to walk or I need to run. I knew that stuff, you know, that’s commonsense stuff,” she said. “It actually tells you how to do it, when to do it. You get text messages on your phone.”

France said it’s difficult to put a dollar amount on the benefits the program may bring.

“It’s not really a medical solution to obesity problems, the obesity epidemic,” France said. “It has to be a community solution. It’s about access to good food, it’s access to places to exercise, places to ride your bicycle, use transit, policies at school, policies at work and opportunities to have supportive programs to help you lose weight.”

Insurance company Kaiser Permanente offers cash to Colorado adults for losing weight - The Washington Post

Companies join forces to market virtual kiosks to military

Dublin-based HealthSpot, creator of the Care4 Station, is partnering with Mission Essential Personnel LLC of Columbus to market and sell the kiosks to the U.S. government, military and international organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations.

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Two local companies are teaming up to market a virtual doctor’s office to the federal government.

Dublin-based HealthSpot, creator of the Care4 Station, is partnering with Mission Essential Personnel LLC of Columbus to market and sell the kiosks to the U.S. government, military and international organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations.

The Care4 Station allows patients to enter a kiosk with a video link to either a family doctor who has a computer with a webcam or a doctor within HealthSpot’s network, CEO Steve Cashman said. The kiosk includes medical tools for the patient to measure blood pressure, heart beat and temperature, among other vital signs, he said.
“It’s pretty similar to what you’d experience in a doctor’s office today,” Cashman said.

None of the systems has been sold yet, but Mission Essential plans to market the system for use in military facilities in the U.S. and abroad as well as to other federal agencies with remote locations, a spokesman said.

Cashman said the stations will roll out in full production during the first quarter of 2012 in multiple states, but he declined to say where, other than in Ohio.

The partnership aligns a company that began less than two years ago with the region’s largest federal government contractor. Mission Essential held $681.3 million worth of federal contracts, including agreements with the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army , the most of any Central Ohio company in 2010, Columbus Business First research shows.

Blues Plans Pilot New Wellness Tool With Personalized Web Platform

As health care costs continue to rise, both health plans and employers are looking to wellness programs to slow the rate of increase. Although many insurers offer smoking-cessation programs or discount health club memberships, three Blues plans have teamed up with a company to use its Web-based platform, mobile apps, wireless-enabled biometric measurement devices and digital coaching to devise a more personalized wellness program for members.

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Independence Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California and Highmark Inc. are working with Boston-based Healthrageous, Inc. to launch pilots early next year that will use its technology either on their own employees or a certain segment of membership before offering the system to all members. Blue Shield of California is folding its program into the existing Wellvolution employee program that began three years ago, and Independence intends to begin its pilot program with employees in the first half in 2012, according to representatives from the insurers.

Using the Healthrageous technology, participants create a personalized account using a Web-based portal that includes both a demographic and health habit profile involving physical activity, diet, sleep and tobacco use. Through ongoing interactions, such as inputting weight and blood pressure readings, as well as exercise activity, Healthrageous’ “machine learning personalization profile” monitors participants’ progress and sends out alerts if they are on track for poor outcomes.

In addition, the system provides a digital coach providing daily health tips, health-related messages, biometric feedback (gathered by both wireless and connected devices), and even a social network tool — all available over the Web or via a mobile app — to keep participants engaged.

Healthrageous grew out of work being done at Boston-based Partners HealthCare’s Center for Connected Health, says Healthrageous Chief Technology Officer Doug McClure. He says the tool initially was used to remotely monitor patients with chronic heart failure, diabetes and hypertension, but developers soon discovered it could be expanded to population health management.

In an employer setting, “the platform can be used for management of disease conditions, self-management and wellness,” he tells The AIS Report. He adds that the platform can be tailored to a health plan or employer’s needs.

Healthrageous Vice President of Business Development Greg Zobel says the platform can be used with or without the aid of high-tech devices, such as a wireless glucometer or blood pressure machine, and that information can be entered in manually through the Web portal or app. But he tells The AIS Report that what sets the platform apart is its ability to learn about members and make personalized recommendations as members answer health questions and submit biometric readings.

IBC Uses Employees in Pilot
Independence’s Healthrageous pilot is slated to include about 500 associates from the company. IBC will place at several locations around IBC’s office in downtown Philadelphia kiosks that can measure blood pressure, pulse, weight and other biometric readings for a participant and instantly transmit that information to their personal profile. These employees also will be given pedometers to measure the number of steps walked each day.

“If you set a goal of losing 10 pounds, you would enroll yourself in the digital weight management program,” says Michael Yetter, director of eBusiness for the insurer. “If you forget to weigh yourself, [the platform] reminds you, as well as of your broader goals.”

But one of the ways Healthrageous can be used to encourage healthy behaviors is through use of “gamification,” he says. The term refers to the application of game theory concepts in products. In the case of wellness, Yetter tells The AIS Report that the Healthrageous platform can be set up to support what he calls team wellness challenges. An example of this might be to see which department can collectively log the highest number of steps in a day or week.

“There’s a social networking aspect within the platform that lets other teammates in the program give you kudos…for good results,” he adds.

Yetter envisions targeting Healthrageous to group-based customers to complement existing wellness programs. But first, the insurer will have to build a business case to demonstrate the value proposition to employers and employees, in terms of having more engaged, healthier employees, he notes.

BSC Starts a “Wellvolution”
Blue Shield of California plans to integrate Healthrageous internally through its Wellvolution employee wellness program, which has been around since 2008.

Under the Wellvolution program, employees can get a discount on health coverage by completing a wellness assessment, undergoing a biometric screening and meeting certain health goals or completing targeted wellness programs. The Healthrageous platform will focus on weight management and blood-pressure reductions, says Nazli Ghamarifard, Blue Shield’s senior program manager for Wellvolution.

For example, by “getting people to exercise and rewarding them to do so, we hope to begin to drive behavior change,” Angie Kalousek, Blue Shield’s senior program manager for wellness, tells The AIS Report. “Incorporating exercise into one’s lifestyle can mitigate and prevent many chronic conditions, which ultimately will lead to cost savings.”

Blue Shield will set up a Healthrageous kiosk in its office fitness centers.

Kalousek says the Healthrageous platform integrates biometric tools that enable participants to earn incentives, such as a “health day off,” by completing certain requirements. For example, a requirement might be to complete 1,200 minutes of physical activity over 12 weeks, and the participant would wear a wireless accelerometer to measure the activity and upload it to the platform to track progress.

Blue Shield reports that Wellvolution has already demonstrated improvements in employees’ health. For example, on an annual basis, BSC employees save $1.5 million on premiums and get 3,000 health days off due to their commitment to wellness. In addition, there has been a 22% decrease is smoking, a 22% increase in physical activity, and statistically significant reductions in cholesterol levels.

Beginning Jan. 1, Blue Shield will include the Healthrageous platform as part of its new Blue Groove program, a fully insured HMO and PPO replacement pilot for mid- to large-size employers in the Sacramento area. The program’s goal is to improve health care quality while reducing costs. It incorporates integrated provider/health plan relationships built on accountable care organizations, wellness engagement, value-based insurance design, and the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model.

While Blue Groove encompasses more than Healthrageous, the goals for the program in its first five years include a first-year premium reduction of between 10% and 15%, a medical cost trend of 5% or lower in future years and improved quality of care.

In addition, members who participate in wellness programs and follow preventive care guidelines will be able to lower their out-of-pocket costs. “Blue Groove is designed to make it easier for members to personalize and achieve their health goals while meeting the needs of a wide cross-section of people,” the insurer says.

Although Highmark declines to comment since it is still in negotiations with Healthrageous, Zobel says that the Pittsburgh insurer will use the platform for diabetes management, including a wireless glucometer to measure blood sugar. The platform also will be integrated into one of its PCMHs to improve communication between providers and patients.

Former Walgreens Executive & Healthcare Veteran Stanley B. Blaylock Joins SoloHealth Board

ATLANTA, GA, November 16, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- SoloHealth, a consumer-driven healthcare technology company, announced today that Stanley B. Blaylock, former president of Walgreens Health Services and Senior Vice President of the Walgreen Company, will join SoloHealth's board of directors, effective immediately.

Former Walgreens Executive & Healthcare Veteran Stanley B. Blaylock Joins SoloHealth Board - Press Release - Digital Journal

Blaylock has more than 20 years of experience that includes wide-ranging successes in the fields of healthcare, entrepreneurship, and investment banking. The announcement comes as SoloHealth prepares for a nationwide rollout in 2012 of its next-generation, consumer health screening kiosk, the SoloHealth Station.

"We are excited and honored that such a respected figure in the healthcare community has agreed to join the SoloHealth board, especially as we ready ourselves for what promises to be a fast-growing and pivotal next 12-18 months for the company," said Bart Foster, founder and CEO of SoloHealth. "Stan brings unparalleled finance, entrepreneurial, and healthcare knowledge to SoloHealth and will provide invaluable counsel during this exciting time of growth as we roll out our new healthcare solution nationwide."

Blaylock began his career in healthcare investment banking, where he rose to the position of global co-head of health care investment banking at Deutsche Bank. In this capacity, he oversaw the execution of 149 financings for approximately $45 billion and 54 mergers and acquisitions of approximately $24 billion.

Blaylock went on to co-found specialty pharmacy solutions company Medmark, where he served as executive vice president/CFO and chief administrative officer until his promotion to president and CEO in 2005.

When Walgreens acquired Medmark in 2006, Blaylock joined the company, and through a series of quick promotions, became Walgreens Senior Vice President and President of Walgreens Health Services. During his approximately four years at Walgreens, he successfully integrated Medmark, driving Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy to the #3 player in the industry through rapid internal growth and key strategic acquisitions. He was responsible for enhancing more than 7,100 community-based pharmacies and managed approximately 7,000 Walgreens employees with P&L responsibility for approximately $4 billion in revenues.

Blaylock currently serves on the Board of Directors of NovaSom, Inc., a leading provider of home sleep testing services for obstructive sleep apnea.

He is also a member of the Board of Directors of MTS Medication Technologies, an international provider of adherence packaging systems, designed to improve medication dispensing and administration. He earned a degree in economics and communication studies from the University of Virginia and received his master's degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. He is also a 2009 fellow of the CEO Perspective Program from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and Corporate Leadership Center.

About SoloHealth: Based in Atlanta, Ga., SoloHealth is the leader in self-service healthcare, utilizing technology to develop and deploy interactive health screening kiosks, as well as other platforms, in an effort to empower consumers about their health through awareness, education and action. The award-winning company's first offering was the EyeSite Vision kiosk, currently located in retail outlets in select national markets. In summer 2010, the company received a $1.2 M grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to help enable innovation for self-service healthcare and prevention. In 2011, SoloHealth announced its next-generation kiosk, the SoloHealth Station, offering vision, blood pressure, weight, and body mass index; receive an overall health assessment; and access a database of local doctors. The company's bilingual kiosks provide free health screenings and recommendations for follow-up care, which leads to prevention and lower health care costs. For more information, visit www.solohealth.com.

SoloHealth Contact
Lindsey Gerdes, [email protected] 770-622-4158

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/492302#ixzz1duZU8JNl

Former Walgreens Executive & Healthcare Veteran Stanley B. Blaylock Joins SoloHealth Board - Press Release - Digital Journal

IDEAL LIFE Medical Kiosk Uses Sprint M2M Technology

Sprint (NYSE: S) and IDEAL LIFE ® today announced they have launched wireless kiosks for users to capture health and wellness information remotely.

The IDEAL LIFE Medical Kiosk Uses Sprint M2M Technology (Photo: Business Wire) - TheStreet

Sprint (NYSE: S) and IDEAL LIFE ® today announced they have launched wireless kiosks for users to capture health and wellness information remotely. The kiosks transmit medical data using Sprint’s wireless network and are indicative of a trend within the health care industry toward more self-management and preventative care.
The IDEAL LIFE medical kiosk uses Sprint M2M technology (Photo: Business Wire)

The IDEAL LIFE medical kiosk uses Sprint M2M technology (Photo: Business Wire)

IDEAL LIFE is already known for its remote health monitoring platform for individuals with chronic conditions and was recently recognized as a 2011 Innovations in Healthcare ABBY Award winner. Now their new kiosks are designed for high-volume traffic and can be installed in communal settings such as community centers, libraries, schools, employer facilities, living centers, gyms, health clinics and physician offices.

IDEAL LIFE’s digital, two-way and interactive technology streamlines health care delivery by empowering individuals to actively regulate their health through education and self-management, involving the physician when appropriate, thereby saving needless trips to the physician’s office while equipping physicians to manage more patients, more efficiently. Whether measuring blood pressure, weight, blood glucose levels or any other biometric reading, IDEAL LIFE kiosk users are able to provide more accurate and immediate data to health care professionals who can, in turn, respond with relevant, reliable and actionable information.

Using technology to stay connected to health care

Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications entails devices other than cell phones talking directly to each other over the Sprint wireless network. In the case of health care, M2M connects consumers—the chronically ill, aging or those who just want to improve overall wellness—with easy-to-use medical applications. The IDEAL LIFE kiosk is an example of how wireless technologies, combined with medical applications, can transform health care delivery.

The prescription for affordable health care is telemedicine

“Wireless M2M solutions present an opportunity to streamline health care and provide greater access to critical patient information at significantly less cost and effort,” said Wayne Ward, vice president-Emerging Solutions Group, Sprint. “Sprint is proud to collaborate with IDEAL LIFE to facilitate real-time dialog and data exchange between individuals and medical professionals. The potential to impact patient wellness and physician efficiency in an on-demand setting is just one example of how connected devices are fundamentally changing every aspect of the way we work and live.”

An IDEAL LIFE-sponsored study of congestive heart failure (CHF) patients showed that remote monitoring using the IDEAL LIFE system offers significant benefits. Among 200 CHF patients, the cost for hospital admissions was reduced from $1.26 million to $540,000.

“IDEAL LIFE already has a strong track record of health care cost reduction,” said Jason Goldberg, president-IDEAL LIFE. “Our collaboration with Sprint will allow seamless integration into the marketplace with the IDEAL LIFE kiosk, enabling our company to quickly deploy more solutions providing greater access to care and creating additional health care savings.”

Independent studies support IDEAL LIFE’s findings. Statistics from the Health Research Institute suggest that telemedicine has the potential to reduce costs, extend accessibility and enhance overall effectiveness of health care delivery.

If doctors use wireless applications to remotely monitor patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes or obesity, the annual savings could amount to approximately $21 billion due to a reduction in hospitalization and nursing home costs.
88 percent of physicians would like their patients to be able to monitor their health on their own.
During a two-year study by the Health Research Institute, e-visits were able to replace in-office visits in 40 percent of the 2,531 cases.

About IDEAL LIFE

IDEAL LIFE, the industry leader in remote health management solutions, has created an innovative platform that addresses many of today’s most challenging and costly health care issues. Guided by a medical advisory panel of experts, the IDEAL LIFE program makes proactive prevention more realistic than ever as it is instrumental in gauging health issues before chronic conditions manifest themselves into acute events. For people managing chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, asthma or obesity, IDEAL LIFE provides relevant, real-time, reliable and actionable data from a person either at home or while on the go. It delivers interactive, personalized communication to incorporate feedback to the knowledge base, allowing individuals to become more engaged and active participants in their own health.

The IDEAL LIFE Medical Kiosk Uses Sprint M2M Technology (Photo: Business Wire) - TheStreet

NHS told to abandon delayed Health Patient IT project

An ambitious multibillion pound programme to create a computerised patient record system across the entire NHS is being scrapped, ministers have decided.

NHS told to abandon delayed IT project | Society | The Guardian

The NHS has spent billions of pounds on a computerised patient record and booking system, which has never worked properly. Photograph: Martin Godwin
An ambitious multibillion pound programme to create a computerised patient record system across the entire NHS is being scrapped, ministers have decided.

The £12.7bn National Programme for IT is being ended after years of delays, technical difficulties, contractual disputes and rising costs.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude and NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson have decided it is better to discontinue the programme rather than put even more money into it. The axe may be wielded , with ministers likely to criticise the last Labour government for initiating the project but doing too little to ensure it delivered its objectives.

An announcement has been expected for months after the National Audit Office cast serious doubt on the wisdom of ploughing further money into the scheme and David Cameron told MPs in May that he was considering that advice. Whitehall sources confirmed the decision had been made because of coalition cost-cutting and the ongoing problems.

"It was meant to be a very helpful thing for NHS staff and patients but instead has become this amazingly top-heavy, hideously expensive programme. The problem is, it didn't deliver", said a Department of Health source.

"It was too ambitious, the technology kept changing, and loads and loads of money has been put into it. It's wasted a lot of money that should have been spent on nurses and improving patient care, and not on big international IT companies."

The move comes after ministers received fresh advice from the Cabinet Office's major projects authority, which assesses the value for money of major public spending schemes. It concluded "there can be no confidence that the programme has delivered or can be delivered as originally conceived", recommending ministers "dismember the programme and reconstitute it under new management and organisation arrangements".

Its highly critical verdict said: "The project has not delivered in line with the original intent as targets on dates, functionality, usage and levels of benefit have been delayed and reduced. It is not possible to identify a documented business case for the whole of the programme. Unless the work is refocused, it is hard to see how the perception can ever be shifted from the faults of the past and allowed to progress effectively to support the delivery of effective healthcare."

Health minister Simon Burns, who is responsible for the NHS, said recently: "The nationally imposed system is neither necessary nor appropriate to deliver this. We will allow hospitals to use and develop the IT they already have and add to their environment either by integrating systems purchased through the existing national contracts or elsewhere."

Providers of NHS care such as hospitals and GP surgeries will now be told to strike IT deals locally and regionally to get the best programmes they can afford.

It is still unclear how much money the government has agreed to pay contractors in recent negotiations over cancellation fees for scrapping the project.

Lansley told the the Daily Mail: "Labour's IT programme let down the NHS and wasted taxpayers' money by imposing a top-down IT system on the local NHS, which didn't fit their needs.

"We will be moving to an innovative new system driven by local decision-making. This is the only way to make sure we get value for money from IT systems that better meet the needs of a modernised NHS." Serious doubts about the project's future were confirmed this year when the cross-party House of Commons public accounts committee said it was "unworkable" and that, despite huge investment, had failed to deliver.

NHS told to abandon delayed IT project | Society | The Guardian

VA, DOD Choose Open Source To Combine EHRs

"Our EHRs are largely comprised of proprietary, custom, and highly vertically integrated solutions. That's antithetical to the way we now know we should build and procure systems. We're trying to get away from these monolithic enterprise applications that are very difficult to maintain and extend and are inflexible."

VA, DOD Choose Open Source To Combine EHRs - Healthcare - Electronic Medical Records - Informationweek

wo federal departments launch open-source community to create a single EHR that combines military and VA records.

By Ken Terry InformationWeek
September 09, 2011 10:31 AM

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In a decisive break with the past, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD), which operate the two largest healthcare systems in the country, on Aug. 30 officially launched an open-source community to help them revamp and unify their electronic health records.

The two departments have created the Open Source Electronic Health Record Agent (OSEHRA) to serve as the governing body of the new public-private community. OSEHRA, an independent, nonprofit organization, now has its own website and is ready to accept contributions from the private sector.

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TechWebTV catches up with Whisper Systems' CTO and co-founder Moxie Marllinspike to discuss and demo WhisperCore -- a mobile security solution that brings BlackBerry-like centralized enterprise-grade security to Android devices.

The VA will make the source code for its VistA electronic health record--first released to the public decades ago--available to the community. The Department of Defense is expected to release some portions of the source code for the Military Health System's AHLTA EHR, which contains the health records of military personnel. But DOD has not yet made an announcement on the subject.

The move toward open source, which has been underway at the VA since last spring, represents a sea change for that department and for the effort to create a single health record for service personnel that will follow them from their time with the military through the rest of their lives.

Peter Levin, chief technology officer for the VA, told Information Week Healthcare that the two departments decided they had to move away from the conventional procurement process because it was not providing what they needed. "Our EHRs are largely comprised of proprietary, custom, and highly vertically integrated solutions. That's antithetical to the way we now know we should build and procure systems. We're trying to get away from these monolithic enterprise applications that are very difficult to maintain and extend and are inflexible."

The departments want to use an open-source community to develop their new unified system for several reasons, Levin said. He explained that it's a fairer acquisition strategy, because the department is leveling the playing field for vendors so that many can participate instead of just one. Also, the approach should help identify and fix software "bugs" more quickly and provide better security, he said.

In addition, "it will be more effective for tax payers, and we think it will keep us closer to the cutting edge of technology."

In the past, open-source developers that used VistA code to create applications in the private sector had no way to feed those back to the VA. "We had no mechanism to allow them to re-absorb their innovations," Levin noted. "Now we do."

Developers who come up with useful applications, he said, can sell them to the VA or the DOD as "proprietary modules that plug into the backbone or the platform." These will be similar to smartphone apps, he noted. "The only thing that has to be open is the connector." But the plug and play analogy goes only so far, he added, because different parts of the information systems will have "slightly different sockets." For example, there will be different plug-ins for pharmacy, lab, scheduling, and personal health record systems.

In the long run, Levin said, "What we're looking to create is mostly entirely new. It's not going to be just VistA or just AHLTA." But he emphasized that the two systems have much in them that's valuable and that the departments will try to retain as much of that as possible.

The open source strategy won't necessarily cost the government less than the traditional competitive bidding process, Levin stated, "but we're going to be getting much greater value for the money that we do spend." In addition, the departments will be avoiding the chance of getting something that they don't want or can't use.

On the other hand, as the private-sector experience with VistA shows, there are also risks in going the open-source route. Debra Filippi, a former government official who is now principal consultant with Suss Consulting in Jenkintown, Pa., said that the VA and DOD leaders are well aware of this, but they're willing to take the chance. With open source, she said, "You get the experience, the expertise and the ideas of an unlimited number of industry leaders. So I think everyone has concluded that while there are risks associated with this, the payoff is worth the risk."

Filippi, formerly director of the DOD/VA Interagency Program Office, which supervises the Virtual Lifetime EHR project, expects that the open-source process will result in major changes in the VistA and AHLTA systems that go far beyond improving the interfaces between them. The goal is, and has been for some time, to make healthcare data available to both departments at all stages of the care process, she said. "So clinicians could see the same data whether you're seen at a VA facility, a military treatment facility, or a private healthcare facility."

Filippi doubts that DoD will make the entire AHLTA code available to the community initially. To start with, she suggested, it might choose an area that AHLTA and VistA have in common, such as their pharmacy systems, and see what the open-source developers do with that.

VA, DOD Choose Open Source To Combine EHRs - Healthcare - Electronic Medical Records - Informationweek

Weight-control reward kiosk opens in Lafayette

Lafayette has opened a Weigh and Win kiosk at the Bob L. Burger Recreation Center, part of an initiative by Kaiser Permanente to pay cash rewards and prizes to those who achieve or maintain a healthy weight.

Weight-control reward kiosk opens in Lafayette - Boulder Daily Camera

By John Aguilar Camera Staff Writer
Posted: 08/03/2011 02:09:44 PM MDT

Lafayette has opened a Weigh and Win kiosk at the Bob L. Burger Recreation Center, part of an initiative by Kaiser Permanente to pay cash rewards and prizes to those who achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
The new program is available for free to all Coloradans ages 18 and older.

Individuals who sign up for the program will participate in quarterly photographed weigh-ins at kiosks stationed throughout the community and receive cash incentives for positive results.

Sign up at www.weighandwin.com and visit one of six Weigh and Win kiosks in the Denver metro area, where initial weight is recorded and a photo is taken. The Bob L. Burger Recreation Center is at 111 W. Baseline Road.

For a full listing of kiosk locations, visit www.weighandwin.com.

Weight-control reward kiosk opens in Lafayette - Boulder Daily Camera

Great video on patient check-in kiosks

Goodbye Clipboard, Hello Patient Palm Scanning At NYU

New York University Medical Center uses vein recognition technology linked to an EHR system to streamline registration, guard against duplication, fraud.

By Neil Versel InformationWeek
June 17, 2011 10:55 AM

17 Leading EHR Vendors
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Patients at New York University Langone Medical Center no longer have to fill out the dreaded clipboard with their medical history or insurance data each time they come in for care because the Manhattan academic medical center has switched to palm recognition technology to identify and authenticate its patients.

NYU Langone said this week that it went live June 5 across its enterprise with a product called PatientSecure, from Tampa-based vendor HT Systems, that scans the veins in the palm with near-infrared light. Citing statistics from the vendor, Dr. Bernard A. Birnbaum, senior vice president, vice dean, and chief of hospital operations at NYU Langone, said vein recognition is 100 times more accurate than fingerprinting. "It had the highest accuracy and highest usability of any biometric technology we looked at."

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The technology is linked to NYU's new Epic Systems electronic health records system, which also came online June 5 when the organization turned on patient registration, billing, and some ambulatory clinical documentation functions. "All sites have scanners as they come live on Epic," Birnbaum reported. That includes NYU Langone's Tisch Hospital, the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Hospital for Joint Diseases, and several affiliated medical practices.

NYU Langone claims to be the first medical center in the Northeast to adopt PatientSecure. HT Systems said on its website that more than 50 hospitals and hundreds of physician offices and clinics use the PatientSecure system, which has been on the market since 2007.

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Implement strong security that is easy to use.

"The most important reason why we did this was for patient safety," Birnbaum told InformationWeek Healthcare . The medical center introduced digital photography to the registration process at the same time the biometric technology went live, taking pictures of patients when they register for the first time on the Epic EHR so staff can visually identify patients.

He said the photos will prevent clinicians from entering information into the wrong patient's record, which could happen when a caregiver enters a room where the EHR is open to another patient's chart. The system also helps prevent identity theft and other fraud.

The scanning and photography lengthen the initial registration process, but it saves time on follow-up visits because patients only have to re-scan their palms to bring up all their information, then verify their date of birth. There is no more need to keep Social Security numbers to identify patients, Birnbaum said.

"You just put your palm on the scanner and you're done registering at your doctor's office, no clipboard, no hassle of paperwork to check in, plus, it's absolutely secure," patient Michael Baldwin said in an NYU Langone press release. "It's immediate and instantaneous."

Rest of article

Coming to Tampa Bay Supermarkets: Self-Service Health Testing

Many of the first 500 Solo Health Stations will appear in Tampa Bay grocery stores by year’s end. This new multitasker will check blood pressure, measure body mass index, perform visual acuity exams and list prevention medical tips to those who key in their health profile.

Coming to Tampa Bay Supermarkets: Self-Service Health Testing - Doctors Administrative Solutions

05/15/11 | SOURCE: St. Petersburg Times

Emboldened by shoppers warming up to more job-killing self-service automation inside stores, marketers are eager to add more routine health monitoring to the grocery store.

Dubious?

Next to the blood pressure machine in three Sweetbay Supermarket pharmacies, shoppers also can try a free self-service vision test that tells them if they should see an eye doctor.

“I figured this vision machine would just gather dust,” said Erica Wilson, a pharmacy tech at the Ruskin Sweetbay. “But 10 to 15 people are using it every day.”

Atlanta-based Solo Health is about to morph its EyeSite kiosk test into the next generation of self-service blood pressure monitors. Many of the first 500 Solo Health Stations will appear in Tampa Bay grocery stores by year’s end. This new multitasker will check blood pressure, measure body mass index, perform visual acuity exams and list prevention medical tips to those who key in their health profile.

It shouldn’t be any surprise: Consumers have learned to rely on faceless ATMs to handle their cash, check in at airports and pump their own gas. More recently self-serve kiosks like $1-a-night Redbox DVD rentals accelerated the collapse of Blockbuster. Today, 40 percent of shoppers head for the self-service checkout lane even though it saves them no time.

“Self-service has become ubiquitous partly because people think it puts them in control,” said Lee Holman, lead analyst with IHL Consulting Group, which tracks retailer technology spending. “The only population segment that objects to it is working mothers with young kids. They regard cashier checkout as one of their few down times.”

Self-service dispensers are changing today’s store experience in ways unthinkable a decade ago. Macy’s sells pricey iPods from them. A self-serve computer screen at CVS maps your feet to tell you which of 14 Dr. Scholl’s orthotic inserts fits best. A vending machine in WestShore Plaza filled with Proactiv skin care products does as much business as most staffed kiosk vendors. A typical mall today generates $1 million from soda vending machines, as much business as a Victoria’s Secret.

Solo Health, armed with a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and backed financially by Coinstar, the owners of Redbox and self-serve change-counting machines, envisions a connected network of multi­tasking Solo Health Stations.

Stores will pay some rent. Health care product makers will pay for the kiosk to hand coupons to patients they know need their products. And insurance companies may pay and offer premium discounts to patients with chronic conditions that can be monitored on shopping trips.

“There is a supermarket within 5 miles of 92 percent of the U.S. population, so kiosks are a great entry point for health care,” said Bart Foster, Solo Health chief executive.

Only a fifth of the 50 people a day who use the average grocery store blood pressure machine have been testing their vision.

“But it’s exceeded our expectations as an added free service,” said John Turner, business development director for Sweetbay.

Among the tested, more than half fail either the near- or far-sighted test. Half have not had a vision test in more than two years, and a quarter have never had one.

The Center for Sight, a Sarasota doctor practice that advertises and gets bookings direct from EyeSite, credits it for seven new patients a week.

One reason creating a vision test took priority: It has been a technical roadblock to automating driver’s license renewals. One day, a kiosk could use facial recognition techniques to match a license photo on file with the new one. Flunking the vision test would require followup with a human.

“Would you rather renew your license at a kiosk while grocery shopping,” Foster asked, “or after a two-hour wait at a license bureau?”

Coming to Tampa Bay Supermarkets: Self-Service Health Testing - Doctors Administrative Solutions

Connected Technology Solutions Introduces Self-Service Innovations at CETW Show

PR on new Patient Passport Express, Retail Digital Signage, and some others. CTS says "..world's only adjustable healthcare kiosk, allows patients to check themselves in for appointments, make co-payments, update medical records and print forms..."

Connected Technology Solutions Introduces Self-Service Innovations at CETW Show -- MEQUON, Wis., April 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

MEQUON, Wis., April 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Connected Technology Solutions (CTS), an award-winning leader in branded user experiences, will present some of the industry's most forward thinking self-service kiosks and digital signage at the 2011 Customer Engagement Technology World , April 27-28, in Booth 518 at the Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco. The annual tradeshow offers the latest innovations for digital customer engagement programs.

"What's made CTS successful is our ability to balance our clients' needs with our drive to create exceptional user experiences," said CEO Sandy Nix. "What makes us different from every other provider is our focus on design. We think outside the box."
CTS highlights will include:

The new Patient Passport Express™, the world's only adjustable healthcare kiosk, allows patients to check themselves in for appointments, make co-payments, update medical records and print forms. It features an interactive touch screen module that moves with a 40" vertical range of adjustability, providing unprecedented access, convenience, and usability. Already more than 5 million patients have used CTS healthcare kiosks to save time and with more privacy. Plus, the automated units are more efficient, saving resources for the facilities.

High-impact Retail Digital Signage communicates effectively, economically and in environmentally-responsible ways. Store promotions, special events and more can be updated in real time via wireless connections. CTS will also be showing its award-winning Kids Activity kiosk designed for Burger King, along with "TheTree," the most unusual kiosk being exhibited at CETW.

The CTS kiosk created for the Idaho Department of Transportation allows truckers to access roadway information, print permits, and learn about regulations. The City of Milwaukee's community kiosks from CTS provide information about public housing, job training and opportunities, and healthcare resources.

"Our solutions improve customer satisfaction and reduce costs for our clients," added Nix. She'll be a featured panel expert discussing how to 'Use Technology to Improve Efficiency and Deliver a Positive Experience' on April 27 at the CETW Show.

About Connected Technology Solutions
Connected Technology Solutions (CTS) is an award-winning thought leader in branded user experiences that include interactive kiosks, digital signage, displays and retail fixtures, with an extensive roster of clients in the healthcare, retail, hospitality, and transportation industries.

SOURCE Connected Technology Solutions

RELATED LINKS
http://www.connectedts.com

Health Care IT: Health Care Kiosks Streamline Patient Access to Check-Ins, Screenings

eWeek feature on Healthcare Kiosks for Patient Access and Check-In. Slideshow showing units from CTS, Phreesia, and SoloHealth.

Health Care Kiosks Streamline Patient Access to Check-Ins, Screenings - Health Care IT - News & Reviews - eWeek.com

By Brian T. Horowitz on 2011-02-22

Self-service kiosks are challenging the traditional roles of administrative clerks, sign-in sheets, payment-collection lines and paperwork in medical offices. Check-in machines from companies such as CTS (Connected Technology Solutions) and Phreesia can be found in hospitals, clinics and doctor's offices, while kiosks from SoloHealth are appearing in supermarkets and pharmacies to allow patients to conduct basic self-exams. Check-in kiosks pull personal info such as names and addresses from EHRs (electronic health records), ask patients questions about their medical histories, verify insurance information, schedule appointments, perform signature capture and take payments. CTS and SoloHealth units can stand upright, while Phreesia makes a tablet-size WiFi-connected device.

The SoloHealth Station allows patients to screen themselves for diabetes, obesity, hypertension and vision problems. In this slide show, eWEEK takes a look at the various self-service health care kiosks on the market from CTS, Phreesia and SoloHealth.

SoloHealth Station

It doesn't replace an actual exam with a doctor, but the SoloHealth Station allows visitors to grocery stores or pharmacies to screen themselves for distance vision, blood pressure, weight and BMI (body mass index). A touch-screen and interactive videos make the process easy.

Health Care Kiosks Streamline Patient Access to Check-Ins, Screenings - Health Care IT - News & Reviews - eWeek.com

Vecna completes installation of patient self-service kiosks at the National Naval Medical Cen

Vecna Technologies is pleased to announce the successful installation of patient self–service kiosks at the National Naval Medical Center, located in Bethesda, MD.

Vecna completes installation of patient self-service kiosks at the National Naval Medical Cen

Feb 16, 2011 – The National Naval Medical Center is one of the nation's premier military medical centers. According to Bill Donnell, Vecna’s VP of Sales and Senior Account Executive, "The leadership at National Naval identified the need to improve and streamline the patient check–in process. Vecna is delivering a solution that does just that. We are making it easier for military personnel and their families to check-in for their health care visits while providing staff with enhanced monitoring to assess wait times and manage patient flow in real-time."

Vecna's patient self–service solutions are endorsed exclusively by the American Hospital Association. Vecna's kiosks decrease waiting times, improve data accuracy, and increase patient satisfaction. Vecna will continue to improve its product and plans to deliver new functionality to the kiosks throughout the year, as well as an expansion of self–service capabilities into new clinical and administrative areas across the facility. About Vecna Medical

# # #

About Vecna Medical - Vecna Medical is the driving force in innovative healthcare IT, leading the industry in patient self-service solutions and electronic infection surveillance solutions. Our clients include the Department of Veterans Affairs, US Department of Defense, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Hospital. Vecna Medical is a division of Vecna Technologies Inc. Learn more at Vecna Medical.

Vecna completes installation of patient self-service kiosks at the National Naval Medical Cen

Self-service Kiosks Fail Me

Blog entry on drawbacks in medical patient check-in. Off Medical Informatics.

Self-service Kiosks Fail Me | Blog | Healthcare Informatics

Self-service Kiosks Fail Me
Posted on: 1.4.2011 2:23:52 PM Posted by Charlene Marietti

I'm all for self-service, especially when it adds efficiency. That's one reason I've always thought self-check-ins at doctors' offices and clinics would be a great time saver.

I'm sick up to my eyeballs of writing in basic information for the umpteenth time. If I have to do it (and I question whether all of it is really necessary), let me enter it on a keyboard, which should be faster than the ubiquitous brown clipboard with pen.

Now I'm a kiosk fan. Kiosks at train stations, airports, and banks are speedy and efficient. I use them. But self-service kiosks in healthcare settings are another story. Every one I've experienced so far has left me less than impressed.

I go to a pharmacy-based clinic for my annual flu shot. Check-in via kiosk there is downright painful on a hunt-and-peck touch screen at a height that has been optimized for a midget. (I'm short, but not short enough.)

Another recent check-in experience had a family member type in his name. The system was finicky--no caps, please; watch the spacing--so finicky that after two failed attempts, the desk person finally did data entry. Needless to say, I was mightily unimpressed with the technology improvement.

Neither system accepted anything more than name and demographic information to ensure that I was who I said I was. No request for my insurance information or scanner for my insurance card. No way to pay my co-pay.

The concept of self-service for check-ins clearly offers promise, but if execution is no better than my recent experiences, we're still in a technology zone stuck on potential.

Comments:
Monday, January 10, 2011 12:49:25 PM by Fraumann

Hi Charlene,

When considering "kiosks", hospitals have to concern themselves with a number of issues, including:

1. ROI (Return on investment) - the kiosk is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of installation, maintenance, updates, etc.
2. Fomite surfaces and disease transfer - a major issue and frequently a show stopper
3. Security of patient information and unit - more headaches for IT, to physical theft of anything not bolted down
4. Privacy of patient information - "shoulder surfing", etc.
5. Resiliency of unit in a variety of potential scenarios - spilled liquids, vomit, mass casualty/disaster, physical abuse, etc.
6. Scalability and maintenance - and is it just another thing to break??
7. Language, Handicap, equal access, etc. - which becomes much more complex in a hospital setting
7. Alternatives (apps, etc.) - potentially technology is improving to the point to overcome many of the shortcomings - including things like gaze directed cursor control, focused privacy displays, and at least addressing services for "registered" customers to start with (which reduces the need for re-entry of personal information)

Unfortunately, much of the "Kiosk" industry has remained fixated on unreliable operating systems/programming, and vendors have often confused (interactive) digital signage, web kiosk, application front-ends, etc.

The good news is, we are seeing iPad/iTouch/Android and similar devices being used to overcome many of the issues the "Kiosk" industry continues to grapple with, but a myriad of other challenges remain. But, it is likely that the whole trend of "Apps" on intelligent personal devices may usher in a whole new future in health care.

Hopefully for all of us, successful business&technology blended solutions are just around the corner.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 12:49:27 PM by Charlene

You bring up some excellent points. Thank you for sharing your wealth of expertise and experience.

The use of personal devices, such as iPads and smartphones, to streamline data input processes makes sense. Now we just need the apps to make it happen.

Thursday, January 13, 2011 12:39:25 PM by Craig Keefner

Unfortunately there are inconsistencies with self-service kiosks, how they are engineered and what interface is used. There are many that adher to the ADA guidelines and the touch interface is very graphical and easy. Devices such as card readers, medical scan scanners with OCR, pin pads, privacy screens, signature pads and more are becoming more available. Guidelines such as PCI, ADA, and HIPAA all come into play and are designed for in the better stations.

Self-service Kiosks Fail Me | Blog | Healthcare Informatics

Five Million Patients Check In Using Self-Service Kiosks from Connected Technology Solutions

MEQUON, WI January 6, 2011 -- Connected Technology Solutions (CTS), a leading provider of self-service healthcare kiosks, has announced a milestone: its Patient Passport Express™ kiosks have assisted more than 5,000,000 patients around the nation to check-in for their appointments. Over 50 leading healthcare system providers, hospitals, and clinics have installed the easy-to-use kiosks that save time for their patients while increasing efficiency for their facilities.

ust as self-service kiosks have transformed banking (ATM’s) and airline check-ins, they’re now indispensable for millions of medical patients. Using easy-to-navigate touch screens, the convenient My Patient Passport Express™ kiosks designed and engineered by CTS allow patients to quickly check-in, make future appointments, update personal medical histories, sign documents using an integrated electronic signature pad, make co-pay payments with a credit card, and even provide maps of the facilities to help patients and visitors find their way.

CTS has developed and deployed award-winning kiosks since 2002, offering exceptional hardware and software design, engineering, fabrication, installation, and support. “We design for the needs of each individual client, because rarely does one size fit all,” said Sandy Nix, CTS President and CEO. “Unlike so many cookie cutter solutions available, we create user experiences that deliver our client’s branded message with integrity.”

In addition to the freestanding My Patient Passport Express™ kiosk, CTS also offers a complete line of multi-purpose units to fit a variety of functions and spaces. For instance, the DeskTopper™ has all the hardware features of its big brother, including a printer, but is compacted into a smaller form factor, and the mobile Patient Info Center™ displays digital signage with various screen sizes and interactivity options.

“We’ve always believed in the value of great design and engineering, but we never lose sight of creating practical and effective enclosures and systems that meet the demanding needs of our clients while satisfying budget constraints,” added Nix. Website

About Connected Technology Solutions
Connected Technology Solutions (CTS) is the thought leader in branded user experiences that include interactive kiosks, digital signage, displays and retail fixtures, with an extensive roster of clients in the healthcare, retail, hospitality, and transportation industries. Privately held, the company has won numerous awards for its customized software and hardware design, engineering, deployment, and customer service support since its founding in 2002.

To arrange an interview with a CTS representative, or for more information, please contact Kevin Sanchez at Hollenbeck Associates, 415.227.1150 ext 110 or [email protected].

Healthcare - kiosks revolutionize patient check-in

Nice interview with Stanley Crane of Allscripts and how the kiosks (and remote mobile options) are improving efficiency.

Allscripts kiosks revolutionize patient check-in - SmartPlanet

Last month I went to a doctor’s appointment at George Washington Medical Faculty Associates (MFA) here in D.C. I stepped off the elevator, had my palm scanned at a kiosk, answered a few questions on a touch screen about my insurance and emergency contacts, selected my appointment for the day, paid my co-pay, took my receipt and sat down with a crossword puzzle in the waiting room. How great is that?

I’ve now used the kiosk four times at MFA, a facility that treats about 4,600 patients daily. Most recently, there was a longer line at the kiosk than at the check-in desk, where the receptionists looked bored.

To learn more about these kiosks and the direction we are headed with electronic health, I called Chicago-based Allscripts, which makes the machines, and talked Chief Innovation Officer Stanley Crane. As Crane told me, imagine if our banks operated in the low-tech and arcane way that our health providers do—entering data manually, shying away from computers and never having the right records available. That’s only money, he said. “This is life and death.”

I’ve loved using the kiosks.

That’s a common experience. You get to the airport, you need to check in, and you don’t have any bags to check. Do you want to talk to the agent? Do you want to talk to the teller or just get your money at the ATM? I think we’ve all gotten used to talking to the electronics, and the computer is faster than the human.

Also smarter. It always knows my co-pay, whereas the people behind the desk never seem to know, so they ask me, and I don’t know either. It happens every time.

When I get that question, I like to tell them that they owe me money.

Were these modeled after airport or ATM kiosks, or was this different enough that it had to be built from the ground up?

When we started the project, we had a client from New York who was very concerned about Medicare fraud—patients using one card and passing it around. So they wanted to know what could we do to help them with Medicare fraud.

So it’s a blend of a few things. The first time you sign in, you authenticate yourself. We were thinking about fingerprint readers, but they were not reliable enough when you change devices–from one fingerprint reader to another, we couldn’t tell you were the same person. The palm scan–the vein-reading technology–we see that at about a 10,000-to-one failure rate. It has a much higher rate of detecting the person you are.

The kiosk has a series of questions to ask. Once a year, for example, I want to ask you in the October through December time frame, “Do you want a flu shot?” The kiosk has the capability to ask a series of targeted questions. If you’re male, these questions, if you’re female, other questions. Same with patients of different ages. After the first time you use it, there are fewer questions. Usually if we ask them more than about five questions they have a tendency to drop off.

We want to make it a little easier for you to see the doc and to provide more information to the nurse and the doc so they understand more about your situation before they see you. It puts us in a better position to collect your data if we start collecting it electronically. Also, we find people are more likely to be honest with the machine than with a person. I just went to the doctor, and I had to tell the security guard where I was going. It was just for a cold, but what if I was going to the place for sexual dysfunction or drug rehab?

GW was one of the first to use your kiosks?

GW was one of the first. GW has been an excellent partner– collaborative, opinionated and negotiable.

Who controls the kiosks now—like programming certain questions—them or you?

They do. So if they want to take a question out or add a question, they do it. They could ask, “Have you been exposed to swine flu?” The machines are all the same, but the questions are tailored by the client.

What’s the smart technology that’s used?

It’s a tablet PC, a classic Microsoft windows application, custom built for Allscripts.

The staff told me that they clock in with a fingerprint reader. Is that your system?

You can sign into our applications with a fingerprint reader, but clocking in—that’s not ours.

We’ve enabled biometrics, but the one we haven’t done is the iris reader. I know it, I get it, and I still felt uncomfortable with it: Let me shine this laser in your eye…

Tell me about how the palm reader works.

It’s built by Fujitsu. The PalmSecure technology reads the veins [with a near infrared light]. And the thing about a palm reader versus a fingerprint reader is that someone can cut your hand off, and they can’t use it and pretend to be you. The palm reading won’t work, because the veins aren’t working anymore. It’s a thermal reading of the veins in your hand.

You thought about this?

I did ask that question.

What’s next?

There’s a theme in a lot of what we’re doing. When you think about EHR (electronic health records), you think about a doctor or nurse talking to a computer or tablet. We’re extending the edges of where the EHR reaches: We’re extending it to the waiting room, and we’re extending the boundaries of where that information is available.

It used to be a really hard boundary—you had to be in the clinic or connect VPN (virtual private network) to the clinic. So how do we make it easier ? We’re trying to make sure wherever that point of care is, the information is, and make it easy for the patient to have access to his information.

And for doctors, we should make it electronically easy for them to pick up their smart phone, access your records and know how to treat you. Knowing, for example, when your last tetanus shot was, so [the shot] is not wasted if your shot is current. We give you the tetanus shot if you need it, but we don’t depend on you to remember when your last one was.

It’s breaking down the geographic barrier of where the information is and where it needs to be.

What’s the biggest challenge in moving forward with all this?

I’ll tell you what I think challenges are. In health care in general, I think training is always an issue–helping doctors, nurses, patients do things in a new way.

I think managing is always a challenge.

I think with the new wave of devices like iPads and digital pens, a challenge is figuring out what to do. Given the amazing capabilities of an iPad, what should do to have the biggest impact on health care? Assume we can do anything, what should we do?

I am at Allscripts because I love what we do. We get to be part of creating the type of health care we want.

And what is that?

We need to come up with ways we can use information technology as every other industry uses it today. Borrowing the kiosk to create the same type of efficiency the airlines and banking industries use. And with that, we save healthcare resources.

How do we help orchestrate the data flow between the various physicians? The kiosk is one way. Allscripts Remote (for the Android, iPhone) is another.

Allscripts Referral Network is another way. Our CEO is impatient; he wants to change health care, and wants to change it now. Rather than waiting for a national clearinghouse to exist, how about just connecting the 180,000 physicians who use Allscripts software? We started about a year, ago and it’s coming to fruition now. It’s about moving data around.

So in this respect, health care is far behind other industries.

I joke a lot and draw parallels between finance and health care. Let’s say you move to Chicago and want to open a bank account. You see file folders, they manually create statements, steer away from the Internet and send you a hand-written statement every month. What’s your next move?

I run out of there as fast as I can.

How many doctors’ offices are like that? And that’s only money. This is life and death.

I believe so much in the problem-solving ability of our physicians that if we prime that pump with information, they will find solutions. How do we help that doctor practice medicine more efficiently and effectively? We’re not the magic part; the physician is the magic part.

Allscripts kiosks revolutionize patient check-in - SmartPlanet

How do we help orchestrate the data flow between the various physicians? The kiosk is one way. Allscripts Remote (for the Android, iPhone) is another.

Link to Remote app

AGFA Announces new IMPAX Patient Kiosk

AGFA announces new IMPAX Kiosk, a self-serve kiosk, where patients can identify themselves, check in, and sign documents electronically. Will be shown at RSNA in Chicago next month.

AGFA.com - Agfa HealthCare at RSNA 2010 - Imaging Excellence, Clinical Confidence

Agfa HealthCare at RSNA 2010 - Imaging Excellence, Clinical Confidence

See for yourself

Register for a demo at RSNA.

Agfa HealthCare is focused on providing excellent imaging solutions to support clinical confidence and improve delivery of health outcomes. At RSNA 2010, we will demonstrate ours engineered solutions that optimize the radiology workflow all along the imaging chain. By bringing the power of IT to radiology, we deliver tools that promote strong collaboration between healthcare providers and advance effective use of information.

Showcase of broadest portfolio ever for digital radiography

As an established supplier of comprehensive and innovative solutions, we are ideally positioned to address some of the toughest challenges currently facing the healthcare market. We are dedicated to continually providing solutions for both computed radiography (CR) and direct radiography (DR) to enhance the delivery of patient care, help reduce costs, and increase operational and clinical efficiencies.

At RSNA 2010, we will demonstrate how our strong CR and DR portfolio is addressing the need to deal with a variety of general radiography exams in an optimal way. We will be showcasing the power of CR versatility with the productivity of DR. We have leveraged our imaging know-how to generate digital radiography systems providing excellent image quality. At the heart of all our digital solutions lie Agfa HealthCare's gold standard MUSICA2 imaging software and NX user station. Exam-independent MUSICA2 automatically analyzes the characteristics of each image and optimizes processing parameters - independent of user input and dose settings.

We will organise demonstrations for:

NCR teams with PharmaTrust

News from Canada & Healthcare with medication dispensing kiosk by NCR in partnership with PharmaTrust and StayHealthy.

source link | KioskMarketplace

A medication-dispensing kiosk has been installed in several Canadian hospitals as part of a partnership between NCR Corp., PharmaTrust and StayHealthy to reduce patient wait times, according to an article in itbusiness.ca.

The PharmaTrust MedCentre System dispenses prescription medications at hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, health care centers and remote locations.

Nelson Gomez, an NCR vice president, said that about half the people who check into a hospital are low-risk patients who do not need the attention of a doctor. “The wait times for these people are up to six hours. These people can now spend 30 minutes to see a doctor and get their medication through an NCR-built kiosk,” Gomez said.

source link | KioskMarketplace

Meaningful Use: A Patient Perspective

Meaningful use articles in healthcare. From MD News and also HealthData Management. How self-service is a part of that equation.

MD News - Meaningful Use: A Patient Perspective

By: Newt Gingrich and Jeffrey Kao
Monday, September 13 2010

As health care providers prepare to meet meaningful use guidelines defined for EHR adoption, health care consumers seek providers who approach “meaningful use,” from the patient perspective.

Electronic Health Records (EHR) have been in the news a lot lately. With the goal of improving the quality and efficiency of health care, the federal government recently issued guidelines to determine whether health care providers are eligible for financial incentives pending “meaningful use” of this new technology. These guidelines include physician order entry, e-prescribing, reporting of quality standards, and interoperability.

But what about the patient? What kind of technologies does the American health care consumer find meaningful, and won’t it be equally critical to support the adoption of technologies that engage patients in their care?”

According to a new Harris Interactive poll, 175 million adults are now using the Internet to find health-related information. We use technology to search for health care that fits our specific, personal needs. We seek out providers who post lab results on a secure patient portal and utilize electronic prescribing. We select hospitals which have the lowest infection rates or facilities that provide the highest quality care at the lowest price around a specific treatment or disease state. We are a generation of health care consumers who expect our health care team to incorporate technology solutions into their practice, thereby reducing errors and improving convenience for us as a patient.

While the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) may not reimburse physicians and hospitals at an enhanced level if they directly involve their patients through self-serve or online solutions, many forward-thinking health care providers are implementing technologies that directly engage patients in their own care and treatment.

Even as health care providers prepare to meet the new meaningful use guidelines, patients and their caregivers are beginning to look for providers who incorporate convenience and technology solutions or, in other words, “meaningful use,” from the patient perspective.

Self-service technology has become virtually commonplace throughout our daily lives. From banking, to retail to travel, we expect to be able to conduct an increasing number of interactions online, at a self-service kiosk or on our mobile device. Not surprisingly, patients are now demanding that same convenience of their health care providers. The growing use of patient-facing technologies, including self-service kiosks, patient portals and personal health records, indicates individuals are taking a more active role in managing their health care.

Implementing technology that further engages patients will not only improve the patient experience, it will improve the bottom line. As health care reform takes hold, reducing costs will be a critical barometer of success. Administrative costs currently account for 7 percent of health care expenditures each year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. As an estimated 34 million previously uninsured Americans begin to access our health care system, these costs are is likely to grow if technology doesn’t offset the increased volume. Automating routine health care transactions by allowing patients to pre-register, schedule appointments and pay bills how and when it is most convenient for them can significantly reduce administrative costs while streamlining the anticipated increase in patient flow.

Getting patients engaged up front may also help minimize consumer skepticism of adopting electronic health records. According to a recent Harris Interactive survey, only 26 percent of respondents said they want their medical records digitized and 40 percent believe they will result in more efficient care delivery. Giving patients greater access to and control over managing their health information can allay those concerns while supporting the ultimate objectives of an EHR, which are to enhance the efficiency and quality of care, by improving the accuracy of patient data, and creating a truly paperless workflow.

Because of new incentives available to physicians from Medicare or Medicaid, there will continue to be a large migration to patient-focused EHRs. But as the adoption rate of EHR technology applications increases, physicians, hospitals, clinics and practice administrators can improve the overall success of their EHR program by deploying solutions that are equally meaningful to patients.

MD News - Meaningful Use: A Patient Perspective

Related Article:
What Meaningful Use Means Now
Health Data Management interviews with numerous stakeholders reveal a number of concerns with the final rule. But these stakeholders agree on one point-compliance with Stage 1 meaningful use criteria now is doable.

Patient self-service kiosk provider HealthAsyst teams with Salumatics in Canada

HealthAsyst forms Canadian partnership for self-service kiosks and Salumatics. Salumatics is being set up as VAR for HA software.

Patient self-service kiosk provider HealthAsyst teams with Salumatics in Canada | KioskMarketplace

Mississauga, Ontario-based Salumatics Inc. and HealthAsyst Pvt. Ltd. announced a strategic partnership agreement in which Salumatics will be a value-added reseller of the HealthAsyst patient self-service kiosks in Canada. As part of this agreement Salumatics will leverage its local presence and industry expertise to market the kiosks and provide technical support to Canadian customers.

HealthAsyst patient self-service kiosks make the check-in process more convenient for patients by allowing them to identify themselves upon arrival at the facility; view and confirm demographic and health card information; and electronically sign consent documents. Through self-service automation the patient benefits from a secure, streamlined check-in experience, and the medical facility improves the quality of care with increased data accuracy and targeted patient messaging.

The patient registration software is customizable to meet the needs of each medical facility. Flexibility options include defining work flows, configuring the content of each screen, changing button shapes and captions, creating custom content for each department, and setting rules for displaying content selectively and dynamically.

Salumatics is a health information management company providing a range of services, solutions and technologies to healthcare providers, business and government. HealthAsyst is a software engineering firm based in Bangalore, India, with a sales office in Norcross, Ga.

Patient self-service kiosk provider HealthAsyst teams with Salumatics in Canada | KioskMarketplace

Healthasyst

ROI - Health clinic CIO says patient self-registration at kiosks lowers costs, saves time

Health clinic CIO says at minimum one hour a day per clinic. Most clinics are open 7 days a week so given the number of clinics that becomes substantial number very quickly.

Healthcare organizations seeking to increase operational efficiency and expand the use of electronic health record (EHR) should consider implementing patient self-registration kiosks, writes Mat Waites, CIO of Brentwood, Tenn.-based The Little Clinic, in Modernhealthcare.com.

We made the strategic decision to use patient self-registration kiosks to expedite the registration process for patients and clinicians. Integrating the kiosk with the EHR eliminates the need to manually enter registration data (such as patient demographic information) into the EHR. We developed a Web-based patient registration kiosk application to collect the information that we need from each patient.

We then used a workflow automation tool to develop an integration that pushes the patient data from the kiosk database into the EHR. Automating the registration and data transfer process saves us about one hour a day per clinic. Given that the clinics are open up to 72 hours a week, this easily translates to a savings of hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars a month

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CSC partners Savience to provide self-service kiosks for patient check-in

News from the UK - CSC national healthcare partners with Savience on patient check-in kiosks. Biggest benefit looks to be time saving of 40% reduction.

CSC partners Savience to provide self-service kiosks for patient check-in

CSC has announced a partnership with healthcare kiosk specialist Savience to expand its offering of electronic health systems designed to improve the quality and accessibility of patient information available to clinical and administrative staff.

The key component of the partnership will be the delivery of self-service kiosks to NHS trusts. The kiosks enable patients to check-in automatically for an appointment and to ensure that their information is as up to date as possible — including address, next of kin, ethnicity and religion. Existing deployments have shown that self-service kiosks improve the patient experience and eliminate queues.

They also free up reception staff time so they can concentrate on other vital administration duties and devote more time to providing face-to-face help for those patients who need it most. By automatically logging patients, the system also helps clinical staff keep a roster so they can better manage their work flow. Crucially, it can help identify and cut down on time wasted waiting for patients who did not attend (DNAs).

The kiosks have been designed for easy use by people of all ages and abilities. The system can read a barcode printed on an appointment letter or card to automatically log in the patient — or patients can key in their details manually on a touchscreen. There is a wide choice of language options as well as a format, meeting RNIB standards, for visually impaired people. By displaying the patient’s GP's details on screen, the trust can share information with the correct practice.

Readily accepted by members of the public of all ages, kiosks streamline the appointment process and help improve attendance rates.

“This is an exciting addition to our range of solutions that we can now offer UK trusts,” said Andrew Spence, CSC's UK director of healthcare strategy. “Savience has an excellent track record of delivering innovative self-service kiosk technology and the combination with CSC’s expertise in healthcare IT means we are perfectly positioned to continue delivering solutions that will save time and money while improving the patient experience.”

“With the kiosks we can now enable trusts to be truly patient-facing. By cutting down or eliminating reception queues, hospitals can run far more efficiently and clinical staff can be assured they have accurate up-to-date information about the patient. I believe trusts will greatly appreciate the 40% time saving benefits that the kiosk have been proven to deliver,” added Spence.

Savience managing director, Roger Everitt, said: “Already proven, I strongly believe that trusts will be receptive to the self-service kiosks, and that partnering with CSC will strengthen our position to rapidly roll out this technology. We have demonstrated that kiosks work and that they free up resources and improve the patient experience, so our objective is to ensure that they become common place in all trusts throughout the country. Working with CSC will provide the platform to enable us to work towards that goal and several trusts have already expressed an interest in the kiosks.”

Las Vegas-based healthcare provider deploys NCR MediKiosk

The NCR MediKiosk can speed the check-in process by allowing patients to enter information directly onto a kiosk upon arrival as well as confirm insurance details, complete questionnaires, sign consent forms and make payments.

DULUTH, Ga., Jun 22, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Valley Health System, a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS), has made it faster and easier for patients to check-in for medical appointments at its facilities with self-service kiosks from NCR Corporation (NCR 12.93, -0.22, -1.67%) .

"Traditional paper-based check-in is both costly and time-consuming, ultimately leading to lengthy wait times for patients," said Howard Dorsky, system director CBO, The Valley Health System. "By adopting self-service, we are able to provide a better patient experience while also increasing overall efficiency and improving revenue cycle management for the organization."

The Valley Health System implemented NCR MediKiosk(TM) at all five of its hospital locations, which include Centennial Hills Hospital Medical Center, Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center, Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center, Summerlin Hospital Medical Center and Valley Hospital Medical Center.

NCR MediKiosk can speed the check-in process by allowing patients to enter information directly onto a kiosk upon arrival as well as confirm insurance details, complete questionnaires, sign consent forms and make payments. This paperless workflow eliminates the need for staff to re-enter patient demographic and insurance information into hospital information systems. This can significantly decrease the costs associated with managing paper-based forms and increase the accuracy of data captured at check-in.

"As healthcare organizations look for ways to build loyalty and increase patient volume, self-service presents an opportunity to enhance patient satisfaction by reducing wait times and paperwork," said Nelson Gomez, vice president, NCR Healthcare. "Self-service can also provide a practical, proven strategy for optimizing revenue by reducing bad debt and driving down the costs associated with collecting patient balances."

Research shows that patients want self-service to manage interactions with their healthcare providers. A 2010 survey of U.S. consumers conducted by BuzzBack Market Research for NCR reveals that 51 percent of respondents would like to view payment history and settle outstanding balances via online and mobile channels. In addition, 79 percent of respondents say they are more likely to choose a healthcare provider that enables them to manage various elements of the healthcare experience -- such as appointment scheduling, registration and bill payment -- over the Internet, on a mobile device or at a self-service kiosk.

About NCR Corporation

NCR Corporation (NCR 12.93, -0.22, -1.67%) is a global technology company leading how the world connects, interacts and transacts with business. NCR's assisted- and self-service solutions and comprehensive support services address the needs of retail, financial, travel, healthcare, hospitality, entertainment, gaming and public sector organizations in more than 100 countries. NCR (www.ncr.com ) is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.

NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries.

SOURCE: NCR Corporation

NCR Corporation
Caroline Rose, 770-623-7608
[email protected]

The Valley Health System Improves the Patient Experience with Self-Service Check-in from NCR - MarketWatch

Sharp Adopts Biometric Palm ID for Patients

Sharp Healthcare is implementing palm recognition software to verify patient identity as they check in for appointments or are admitted to the hospital.

The technology will better ensure proper identification of patients, matching them to their own personal medical records and protecting against identity theft, says Dan Gross, executive vice president for hospital operations at the San Diego-based delivery system.

Sharp is using the PatientSecure technology of HT Systems, Tampa, Fla. Palm scanners have been put in the Sharp Reese-Stealy medical office in downtown San Diego. Other offices and Sharp's eight hospitals will get the system during a nine-week period.

More information is available at sharp.com and patientsecure.com.

Sharp Adopts Palm ID for Patients

Transitions Interactive Kiosk from Frank Mayer

Frank Mayer & Associates, Inc. Reveals Educational Interactive Kiosk For Transitions Optical [picture included]

Frank Mayer & Associates, Inc. has completed the first round of interactive educational kiosks for Transitions Optical. Transitions Optical is the largest supplier of photochromic lenses in the world and is currently testing these units in select retail environments.

Frank Mayer & Associates, Inc. designed and produced the Transitions Optical interactive kiosk to educate consumers and store personnel regarding the variety of photochromic lens options available. This free-standing kiosk is unique as it incorporates a UV-LED light to simulate outdoor UV rays to allow consumers to experience how quickly Transitions lenses activate when exposed to the UV light.

The kiosk provides:

Consumer Education

Fujitsu Leading Symposium on Healthcare in Vancouver

Foothill Ranch, CA, May 25, 2010 — Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc., a leading supplier of innovative computer products including peripherals, biometric security solutions and digital media solutions, today announced that company executives will lead a symposium entitled “Self-Service Healthcare: Migrate Over 50% of Patients to Kiosks” during e-Health 2010 (May 30–June 2, 2010 at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Fujitsu to Lead Symposium about the Benefits of Self-Service Kiosks for Patient Registration during e-Health 2010 : FUJITSU United States

The session will focus on the benefits of self-service patient check-in kiosks, including improved service delivery, efficiency and overall patient satisfaction. During the conference, Fujitsu will also demonstrate the Med-Serv Patient Kiosk, the PalmSecure™ biometric authentication solution and several of the company’s other industry-leading technologies at booth #811.

“There is a glaring need in the healthcare industry to improve the patient registration process, as patients continue to be frustrated by long lines and privacy concerns while healthcare providers absorb increased administrative costs for data entry, correcting information and other non-value added services,” said Josh Napua, vice president of Healthcare Kiosk Solutions, Fujitsu Frontech North America. “Self-service kiosks are the future of the patient registration process. The Fujitsu symposium during e-Health 2010 will showcase how hospitals and clinics can take advantage of innovative technologies to provide a simplified, automated, secure system for increasing patient satisfaction, reducing cost and improving efficiency.”

The Fujitsu symposium will be moderated by Paul Blackburn, senior vice president of Fujitsu America, Canada and will feature Jim Hewitt, CIO of Springfield Clinic and Josh Napua, vice president of Healthcare Kiosk Solutions, Fujitsu Frontech North America. The session will highlight real-world examples of hospitals that are transforming their patient registration process by implementing self-service kiosks. Attendees will learn best practices for achieving a 50-percent patient migration to kiosks and how using innovative technologies like the Fujitsu Med-Serv Patient Kiosk can help healthcare facilities offer more timely patient registration and open the possibilities for private and secure patient access to Electronic Medical Records, billing information and other essential hospital services. The Fujitsu symposium will take place on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 from 10-11 a.m. PT in room 10.

“Traditional registration processes present numerous challenges to both patients and healthcare facilities—long wait times, concern about the privacy of sensitive personal information and filling out repetitive paperwork lead to patient frustration. The laborious data entry and error correction increase administrative costs for hospitals and clinics,” said Vic Herring, vice president of sales and marketing, Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. “The Fujitsu Med-Serv Patient Kiosk solves these challenges by providing a fast, user-friendly, secure system for patients while equipping healthcare providers with an automated, simplified check-in system that cost-effectively improves operational efficiencies.”

Developed jointly with Jardogs LLC, founded in 2009 as a subsidiary of Springfield Clinic in Springfield, Ill., and AllScripts, the Fujitsu Med-Serv Patient Kiosk is an open hardware platform that simplifies and automates the patient check-in process at hospitals and healthcare clinics. The Fujitsu Med-Serv solution enables patients to quickly and securely update personal information, order prescription refills and pay outstanding balances, giving them control of the registration process and assuring data accuracy since patients are inputting the information themselves. For healthcare providers, the Fujitsu Med-Serv Patient Kiosk reduces administrative costs, increases efficiency by eliminating redundant data entry, ensures compliance with HIPAA requirements and improves cash flow visibility by integrating with back-end accounting systems. To address potential fraud concerns, the Fujitsu PalmSecure palm vein biometric authentication technology is also offered as an option feature.

WHEN/WHERE:
Symposium Title: “Self-Service Healthcare: Migrate Over 50% of Patients to Kiosks”
Participants: Jim Hewitt, CIO of Springfield Clinic
Paul Blackburn, senior vice president of Fujitsu America, Canada
Josh Napua, VP of Healthcare Kiosk Solutions, Fujitsu Frontech North America
Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2010 from 10-11 a.m. PT
Event: e-Health 2010
Location: Vancouver Convention Centre (room 10), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Fujitsu Booth: #811

About Fujitsu Frontech North America, Inc.
Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. offers a wide variety of products including retail point of sales terminals, self checkout systems, kiosks, media solutions, palm vein biometric authentication technology, Ethernet switches, RFID tags and bill dispensers – with sales, service and engineering support throughout the United States. Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. is headquartered with operations and product development at 25902 Towne Centre Drive, Foothill Ranch, CA. 92610. For more information about Fujitsu products and services, call us at 800-626-4686 or visit us at: www.fujitsufrontechna.com

For more information, please see: www.fujitsufrontechna.com

About Fujitsu Frontech Limited
As part of the Fujitsu Group, Fujitsu Frontech Limited ties people and IT together through the development, manufacture and sale of front-end technology such as ATMs, operation branch, POS and totalizator terminals, and public display devices. Fujitsu Frontech also delivers related software, system integration and outsourcing as part of its total solutions offerings. The company supports the security sector by offering products incorporating Fujitsu's latest palm vein authentication technology, and is actively involved in the development of key technologies in various fields, with a current focus on color electronic paper and RFID systems.
For more information, please see: www.frontech.fujitsu.com/en/

For more information, please see:
Press Contacts
Erin Sun
Fujitsu Frontech North America, Inc.
Tel: 949-855-5543
E-mail:[email protected]

Dan Borgasano
Schwartz Communications
Tel: 781-684-6660
E-mail:[email protected]

CY-FAIR HOSPITAL ANNOUNCES NEW EASY-TO-USE REGISTRATION KIOSKS

The kiosks can be used to complete the registration process, including verifying information, reviewing privacy policies, and signing consent forms. At a later date, scanning identification and insurance cards and paying insurance copays will also be available.

source link - TheCypressTimes

HOUSTON -- A trip to the hospital, even for a routine test, can sometimes be a trying experience. But Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital is taking steps to help make your visit as convenient and pleasant as possible. That’s why we are pleased to announce that easy-to-use registration kiosks are now available during your hospital visit.

The kiosk services are available at the hospital’s main registration desk and Women’s Imaging Center to patients who have pre-registered for their visit at Cy-Fair Hospital on the Web or over the phone. Kiosks can be used to complete the registration process, including verifying information, reviewing privacy policies, and signing consent forms. At a later date, scanning identification and insurance cards and paying insurance copays will also be available. A registration attendant will be available to assist with any questions that patient’s may have with the kiosk or registration process.

After completing the registration process at the kiosk, patients will be called by a clinical staff member and escorted for their procedure. It’s that simple – a quick check-in, an easy-to-use process, and no having to wait for a registrar to become available.

Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital strives to make health care easily accessible to the community. From online pre-registration and bill pay options to check-in kiosks and free Wi-Fi to complimentary physician referral services and free health screenings, we are committed to providing exceptional service to our patients, just as we have been doing for the past 27 years.

Cy-Fair Hospital encourages you to pre-register and take advantage of the convenience of registering at one of our new kiosks. To pre-register, simply call 281-897-3121, or visit us online at www.CyFairHospital.com/Preregister.

HIMSS Video Profile: Allscripts Patient Kiosk

Greg Thurau, the vice president of solutions management for Allscripts, gave DOTmed News a close-up demonstration of the company's new patient kiosk at this year's HIMSS conference.

HIMSS Video Profile: Allscripts Patient Kiosk
April 05, 2010
by Heather Mayer, DOTmed Staff Reporter

The electronic kiosk allows patients to check in for a doctor's appointment quickly and securely with biometric patient identification that uses the vein pattern of the patient's hand. This method is less expensive but still as secure as iris scanning.

source linkk

New Patient-Focused Workflow Kiosk Solution

Imaging Practices - .. a win for everyone involved -- patients love the automation, referring physicians tell us that we look very leading edge and our staff is able to focus on our patient's clinical experience rather than routine tasks...

MILWAUKEE, Mar 01, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- In an effort to leverage health information exchange technology for consumers, Merge Healthcare (MRGE 2.01, +0.01, +0.25%) today announced the introduction of the Merge Patient Kiosk(TM) and the successful deployment of this new patient engagement tool in several imaging centers in the U.S. Combining the best of kiosk technologies already present in other industries and the specific requirements of healthcare consumers, the Merge solution creates a new way for imaging practices to stay connected to their customers.

"The kiosks have definitely made a positive impact in our clinics," says Matt Dewey, CIO of Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology in Long Island, New York. "Busy consumers who prefer user-friendly, automated technology are pleased that they now have the choice to complete their check-in with our kiosk. Unlike other kiosks, this system has the ability to connect to an avatar-based live agent, who can guide our patients through the check-in process when they need some assistance. Moving forward, I see the Merge Patient Kiosk as an important tool for keeping patients loyal to our centers."

The unique avatar-based Merge Patient Kiosk provides assistance from a professional who can see the person and talk directly to her to answer any questions, within a private environment. Integrated with Merge's Fusion RIS(TM), the system can set the appropriate alerts, update a patients' status and scan documents, such as a driver's license and insurance card, all within the normal workflow of a healthcare enterprises operation. This new product will be on display at the upcoming HIMSS show, March 1 -- 3, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. A special presentation on the Merge Patient Kiosk will take place on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, at 4:30 PM ET in booth #2759.

"Our front office staff wondered how the kiosk would impact them and our patients at first," says Marilyn Lester, Administrator of UT Imaging in Houston, Texas. "But, within a couple of days, we quickly realized its true value. It's just such a win for everyone involved -- patients love the automation, referring physicians tell us that we look very leading edge and our staff is able to focus on our patient's clinical experience rather than routine tasks."

"We are very pleased with the launch of this innovative new product line," says Justin Dearborn, Merge Healthcare CEO. "We've had excellent dialogue with our imaging professional customers and their patients; and the result is a well designed solution that benefits everyone involved in an imaging exam."

Merge Healthcare Incorporated develops solutions that automate healthcare data and diagnostic workflow to enable a better electronic record of the patient experience, and to enhance product development for health IT, device and pharmaceutical companies. Merge products, ranging from standards-based development toolkits to sophisticated clinical applications, have been used by healthcare providers, vendors and researchers worldwide for over 20 years. Additional information can be found at www.merge.com.

The matters discussed in this news release may include forward-looking statements, which could involve a number of risks and uncertainties. When used in this press release, the words "will", "believes", "intends", "anticipates", "expects" and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any of the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Merge Healthcare Incorporated

Media Contact:
Merge Healthcare
Julie Pekarek, 414-977-4254
Chief Marketing Officer
[email protected]

Merge Healthcare Introduces New Patient-Focused Workflow Solution - MarketWatch

New Fujitsu Self-Service Med-Serv Patient Kiosk

ARRA Stimulus Package Spurs Demand for Patient Self-Service Solutions Like the Fujitsu Med-Serv 50 Patient Kiosk

ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwire - March 1, 2010) - HIMSS 2010 -- Fujitsu (http://solutions.us.fujitsu.com) today announced the Fujitsu Med-Serv(TM) 50 patient registration kiosk, an open hardware platform that lets the healthcare industry's innovative ISVs provide new applications to reduce patient stress and cut healthcare administrative costs. With the Fujitsu Med-Serv 50 kiosk, applications can be developed to ease and speed up the process for patient check-in. In addition, other applications for easily filling out satisfaction surveys, paying outstanding balances or co-pay fees can be supported. In order to eliminate fraud, another optional feature, the Fujitsu PalmSecure(TM) palm vein biometric reader, can be deployed to authenticate the patient. Self-service kiosks allow healthcare providers to increase patient satisfaction while reducing administrative staff in favor of additional medical staff.

News Highlights

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) includes $17.2 billion in incentives, via Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement systems, to assist providers in adopting electronic health records (EHRs). The shift to EHRs will enable organizations to launch patient self-service initiatives -- such as deploying Med-Serv 50 kiosks -- as a way to lower operational costs and improve the patient experience.

The Med-Serv 50 platform offers several features and options that distinguish it from the competition, including a large 19-inch display, Fujitsu PalmSecure biometric technology, integrated camera and patient proximity mat.
The Med-Serv 50 hardware platform has been available for more than a year as the hardware foundation for the Allscripts Patient Kiosk(TM). Allscripts Patient Kiosk solves a common patient complaint -- the seemingly endless stream of paperwork they must fill out every time they register for an appointment. Allscripts Patient Kiosk eliminates this frustration while helping physician practices reduce the costs and overhead associated with traditional patient check-in. Through integration with Allscripts Electronic Health Records, Patient Kiosk helps patients take control of their own healthcare with a dashboard view of all their personal information, including a complete health maintenance plan.

To develop this highly reliable, free-standing patient registration hardware platform, Fujitsu leveraged years of experience in delivering industry-leading retail self-service solutions, such as Fujitsu ticketing kiosks for the two largest theatre chains in the United States.

The Fujitsu self-service kiosk is a key element of the end-to-end healthcare solutions provided by Fujitsu. For example, new Fujitsu datacenter options for healthcare organizations include cloud computing, managed data center services and hosted offshore solutions based on award-winning Fujitsu PRIMERGY(R) servers, and ETERNUS(R) storage and virtualization systems. For organizations needing specialized applications not supplied by an ISV, Fujitsu can develop custom software solutions.

See Fujitsu healthcare solutions in action at the HIMSS Conference and Exhibition in Atlanta, March 1-4, at the Georgia World Congress Center in booth 5232. Fujitsu will demonstrate how their offerings help healthcare organizations in North America reduce operating costs and deliver state-of-the-art patient experiences.

Related links
http://bit.ly/51dSYn
http://bit.ly/aN4f3Z

Healthcare whitepaper
http://solutions.us.fujitsu.com/www/content/pdf/healthcare_whitepaper.pdf

NCR Joins Center for Health Transformation

NCR joins the Center for Health Transformation. Founded by Newt Gingrich the Center is a modern political advocacy group. Last time a large company involved in politics was Diebold.

Detail | Center for Health Transformation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2009

NCR Corporation Joins Center for Health Transformation

Washington, DC—Duluth, Georgia-based NCR Corporation has joined the Center for Health Transformation (CHT). NCR provides mobility, kiosk and Web self-service solutions that minimize wait times for patients and reduce administrative costs for healthcare providers.
“Automating routine processes like patient registration, appointment scheduling and bill payment not only improves the patient experience, it reduces costs and maximizes efficiency across the healthcare enterprise,” said Nelson Gomez, vice president, NCR Healthcare. “Through our partnership with the Center for Health Transformation, we hope to help hospitals and physician practices understand how self-service can improve the overall quality, safety and efficiency of care.”

CHT will collaborate with NCR, the leading provider of self-service patient registration solutions, on empowering patients to take a more active role in managing their health. Giving patients greater control over their own health information can prevent the potential errors that stem from redundant data entry, and eliminate time-intensive, paper-based administrative processes. It also allows healthcare providers to focus their staffing resources on more valuable, patient-facing interaction. To date, more than six million patients have checked in for medical appointments using NCR self-service solutions.

"Technology is rapidly changing the way we deliver medicine in this country, and this is a great opportunity to partner with NCR to spread the message that technology can be used to make the delivery of healthcare safer for patients and more affordable for all of us," said CHT President and CEO Nancy Desmond.

“NCR is fundamentally changing the way consumers interact with their healthcare providers,” said CHT Founder and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. “We at the Center are thrilled to partner with such an innovative and forward-thinking organization.”

About the Center for Health Transformation (CHT)

CHT is a high-impact collaboration of private and public sector leaders committed to creating a 21st Century intelligent health system that saves lives and saves money for all Americans. Unlike other alliances, CHT unites stakeholders across the spectrum (providers, employers, vendors, trade associations, disease groups, think tanks) and government leaders at both the state and federal level to drive transformation according to a shared vision and key principles. For more information, please visit www.healthtransformation.net.

About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a global technology company leading how the world connects, interacts and transacts with business. NCR's assisted- and self-service solutions and comprehensive support services address the needs of retail, financial, travel, healthcare, hospitality, entertainment, gaming and public sector organizations in more than 100 countries. NCR (www.ncr.com) is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.
# # #
Media Contacts
Alissa Momberg
Center for Health Transformation
202-375-5020
[email protected]
Caroline Rose
NCR Corporation
770-623-7608
[email protected]
Chowning Johnson
Dodge Communications
770-576-2546
[email protected]

NCR takes kiosks to private practice

DULUTH - NCR has moved into the smaller, private practices with its self-service kiosk solutions. Orlando Internal Medicine, an eight-provider practice, is expediting the collection of patient co-payments, deductibles and payer reimbursement through its use of self-service solutions from Greatwater Software and NCR Corporation.

"All providers face the challenge of improving the speed and efficiency of payment collection, particularly at a time when patient bad debt continues to increase," said Pradeep Vangala, M.D., president of Orlando Internal Medicine.

In January 2009, Atlanta Medical Center, part of Tenet Healthcare, installed patient check-in kiosks. Through the end of July 99 percent of patients successfully accomplished their check-ins, with an average time of 4 1/2 minutes.

Through its automation of the patient registration process, Orlando Internal Medicine enables patients to quickly check in for medical appointments, make co-payments, sign consent forms and update health history information, resulting in reduced wait times and increased collections. The process also minimizes routine administrative tasks and paperwork for office staff.

The PatientPoint solution will be provided by Greatwater, an NCR reseller focused on extending the benefits of patient self-service solutions to physician practices. Greatwater is building upon the leading NCR MediKiosk hardware and software platform to deliver additional applications to physician practices, such as prescription adherence management and clinical trials enrollment.

"Greater accessibility to self-service solutions provides physician practices with a means to improve daily operations and transform care delivery," said Don Shaver, CEO of Greatwater Software. "By taking advantage of the many benefits that self-service provides, practices of all sizes can improve cash flow and increase patient satisfaction."

Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates/Atrius Health Chooses D2 Check- In Kiosk

D2 Sales LLC announced that Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates of Boston has chosen the company’s My Patient Passport Express kiosk for its patient check-in program.

The My Patient Passport Express kiosk allows patients to check in, make future appointments and update their medical history, all using a simple-to-navigate HIPAA compliant privacy 17-inch touch screen monitor.

Patients can use their credit card to make co-pay payments, and they can sign documents using the integrated electronic signature pad. The kiosk is branded with the Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates/Atrius Health logo.

“D2’s purpose-built healthcare kiosks allow patients a choice when registering, updating their records and making co-pay payments, providing a quicker and more efficient check-in process,” said Sandy Nix, CEO of Mequon, Wis.-based D2.

source link

Healthcare Kiosk - Eye Diagnostic kiosks planned

Schnucks Markets, Inc., a regional grocery and pharmacy retailer based in St. Louis, plans to install vision-screening kiosks at 30 of its stores. [kiosk image included]

Source Link

The grocer is working with Atlanta-based SoloHealth, a provider of self-service health screening solutions, to deploy interactive EyeSite kiosks, which are free to use and are designed to provide consumers with a quick, accurate assessment of their near and distance vision. They also asses risk, provide relevant eye health information and encourage consumers to schedule a comprehensive eye exam with their eye care professional or select an eye doctor from a list of local providers.

“Schnucks has always been dedicated to bringing its shoppers solutions for the health and wellness of their families,” said Mike Jurgensmeyer, Schnucks VP of pharmacy and fuel. “Providing our customers with access to free vision screenings from SoloHealth’s EyeSite kiosks is big step in helping them take an active role in their overall health.”

The EyeSite kiosks are meant to be a complement to -- not a replacement for -- a regular eye exam. Consumers answer a series of lifestyle questions on a touchscreen and are presented with various-sized letters to determine near and distance acuity. They then receive a customized report of their results, which they can share directly with their eye care professional.

“Too often, people don’t realize that their vision may deteriorate so slowly that it may be imperceptible,” said Bart Foster, CEO of SoloHealth. “They may think they have 20/20 vision, but in reality, eye disease may be forming. In fact, of the 175,000 people tested in our home base of Atlanta, 25 percent had never had an eye exam despite, in many cases, having risk factors such as family history of eye disease.”

Family-owned Schnucks operates 106 stores (including five Logli stores) and 103 pharmacies in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Tennessee and Mississippi.

EHR and Check-In - Allscripts Hit with Lawsuit

Allscripts-Misys involved in class action lawsuit. Some over eager investors are trying to sue Allscripts for misrepresenting how successful their Touchworks product would be. Allscript provides all types of assisted services for the medical field including check-in kiosks and doctor tablets.

The Brualdi Law Firm, P.C. Announces Class Action Lawsuit Against Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc.

August 10, 2009: 12:23 PM ET

NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Brualdi Law Firm, P.C. announces that a lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of purchasers of Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (formerly known as Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc.) ("Allscripts" or the "Company") (NYSE:MDRX) common stock during the period between May 8, 2007 through Feb 13, 2008 (the "Class Period") for violations of the federal securities laws.

No class has yet been certified in the above action. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. If you purchased Allscripts common stock during the Class Period and wish to move the court for appointment of lead plaintiff, you must do so by October 5, 2009. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff will be selected from among applicants claiming the largest loss from investment in the Company during the Class Period. You do not need to seek appointment as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.

To be a member of the class you need not take any action at this time, and you may retain counsel of your choice. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this Notice or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Sue Lee at The Brualdi Law Firm, P.C. 29 Broadway, Suite 2400, New York, New York 10006, by telephone toll free at (877) 495-1187 or (212) 952-0602, by email to [email protected] or visit our website at http://www.brualdilawfirm.com.

According to the Complaint, during May 2007, the Company went "live" with the newest version of its EHR clinical software, Touchworks, version 11 ("V-11"). The complaint alleges that, during the Class Period, defendants issued materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business prospects. The complaint further alleges that defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose the following adverse facts: (i) that Allscripts lacked the necessary resources to install V-11 software at customer sites; (ii) that Allscripts had no historical basis to estimate the completion of V-11 or the impact V-11 sales might have on the Company's 2007 revenues and earnings; (iii) that the complexity of V-11 had materially and adversely lengthened the sales cycle and revenue recognition cycle for the Company's V-11 sales contracts; (iv) that Allscripts was currently experiencing adverse and continuing delays in the installation of V-11 software systems; and (v) that based on the foregoing, defendants had no reasonable basis for their statements and opinions concerning Allscripts' current and future financial performance and projections.

On February 13, 2008, Allscripts released its actual 2007 financial results, reporting 2007 revenue of $281.9 million or $18 million below the Company's $300 million guidance confirmed in August 2007 and $5 million short of their November earnings guidance revision. During a conference call with investors that same day, Allscripts finally admitted to V-11 installation delays that were likely to negatively impact sales and earnings well into 2008. In response to those announcements, the price of Allscripts common shares fell $4.12 per share, closing at $11.27 on February 14, 2008.

CONTACT: The Brualdi Law Firm, P.C.

Sue Lee, Esq.

(212)-952-0602

(877)-495-1187

Healthcare Kiosk - trends and case study

Couple of articles posted on www.gokiosk.net (Kiosk Industry Group) which talk about healthcare. Some surprising data showing the retail medical clinics have in fact declined (Wal-Mart is rethinking strategy) which no-one would've predicted given ObamaCare. And nice article on the Springfield clinic project which involves Fujitsu and Allscripts. Read more at gokiosk.net

New devices for Healthcare by Kaiser

Interesting slideshow showing latest technology being tested by Kaiser Permanente for use in hospitals. Includes medication-dispensing robots, interactive caregiver home-patient interaction tools, and wireless notebooks (netbooks really...) with stylus for logging patient information and eliminating costly paperwork.

Link on SFGate

incentaHEALTH(R) Awarded Patent for HEALTHspot(TM) Wellness Kiosk

incentaHEALTH LLC, a Denver-based provider of corporate wellness programs, today announced that the U.S. Patent Office has awarded a new patent relating to incentaHEALTH's innovative health screening kiosk system and methods.

The patent (U.S. Patent No. 7,541,547 entitled "System and Method for Measuring and Distributing Monetary Incentives for Weight Loss") relates to some innovative features of incentaHEALTH's private wellness kiosk that allow companies to offer powerful health coaching programs to their employees and dependents. The kiosk enables users to privately weigh in, taking both a weight measurement and a photo of the user.

"The HEALTHspot kiosk is an integral part of our program to reduce employers' health care costs," said Todd McGuire, Chief Technology Officer of incentaHEALTH. "Sadly, 2 out of 3 American adults are either overweight or obese. These conditions are a primary driver of health care costs. IncentaHEALTH provides a technology-based behavior change program to help employees improve their lifestyle through daily email coaching and incentives. This new technology transforms the way we can deliver evidence-based wellness programs. Based on this verified measurement of success, incentaHEALTH can pay incentives that reinforce lasting changes in an employee's habits regarding physical activity and nutrition."

Every three months, participants enter a private room to automatically record their weight and photo by logging into the kiosk and stepping on the scale. The participant's current weight and photo appear on the HEALTHspot kiosk display for review. Once confirmed by the participant, the information is encrypted and transmitted to the incentaHEALTH data center for secure archival. Since the kiosk is Internet-enabled, participants can see their progress in real-time. The results are only accessible by the participating employee. The employer never sees individual participant results. This private weigh-in takes approximately 45 seconds. The HEALTHspot kiosk is available for use 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. A summary of some features of the kiosk is available online at http://www.incentahealth.com/HEALTHspotKiosk.html.

By participating in the incentaHEALTH wellness program, participants receive daily email instruction on proper nutrition and exercise. These daily emails are tailored each day to the specific barriers and motivators that are unique to each participant. The emails also contain video instructions for performing each day's recommended exercises, as well as a comprehensive set of meal ideas for each day. Every 90 days, participating employees return to the HEALTHspot kiosk to track their performance. They receive a cash incentive from incentaHEALTH based on the percentage improvement in their weight (BMI). Participants can earn incentives for the entire duration of the year-long program if they maintain their success at each screening. This long-term incentive approach leads to lasting behavior change as employees are rewarded for incorporating new habits around nutrition and physical activity into their daily lives.

About incentaHEALTH®

incentaHEALTH is a health care technology company with headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Serving the corporate wellness marketplace, incentaHEALTH's system is designed to help organizations reduce their health care costs by offering incentives to employees for improving their health. This is achieved by helping employees manage their weight through the use of interactive email coaching, workplace weigh-ins on private kiosks, and cash rewards for sustained weight loss success. Organizations throughout the U.S., the U.K. and Singapore have implemented this health care solution for their employees and are reporting significant success. For more information, visit: http://www.incentaHEALTH.com.

Corporate Inquiries
(303) 694-8008
[email protected]
www.incentahealth.com

Healthcare Kiosks - Allscripts Patient Kiosk demo

News from HIMSS -- Jim Hewitt, CIO, Springfield Clinic, demos the new Allscripts Patient Kiosk in under 2 minutes.
Demo Video

PR: Healthcare Vision Screening Kiosks

The SoloHealth people develop new partnerships for their customized vision screening/test kiosk. Established in late 2007, SoloHealth has placed EyeSite kiosks throughout its home base of Atlanta in retail locations such as Walgreens, Kroger, Walmart and regional malls. Since September of 2008, SoloHealth has screened over 100,000 people.

Transitions Optical and Optos Join SoloHealth to Expand Use of EyeSite™ Self-service Vision Kiosks to Increase the Frequency of Eye Examinations

SoloHealth, maker of EyeSite™ self-service vision testing kiosks is partnering with Transitions Optical, Inc., Optos, and other leading eye care companies to deploy a large number of its EyeSite kiosks in a major US market this summer. EyeSite kiosks provide free vision screenings and are not designed to replace an eye exam. Instead, the highly sophisticated optical software and interactive video interface accurately assesses distance and near vision. A printout indicates the results, provides eye health and product information, and refers the user to a participating eye care professional nearby.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) April 16, 2009 -- SoloHealth (http://www.solo-health.com), maker of EyeSite™ self-service vision testing and new patient generating kiosks, announced today it will team with Transitions Optical, Inc., Optos, and other leading eye care companies to deploy a large number of its award-winning EyeSite kiosks in a major US market this summer. EyeSite is an innovative vehicle that has the potential to stimulate the eye care category and drive patients to eye care professionals because it offers free, simple and quick vision assessments coupled with education on the need for a comprehensive eye exam. Manufacturers can also market products on the interactive kiosks, which are placed in a variety of locations meant to capitalize on consumer demand and traffic. EyeSite kiosks allow consumers to assess their near and far vision, schedule an appointment with a local eye doctor, and learn about general eye health conditions--all in about five minutes.

Self-service is growing in popularity and partnering with SoloHealth, an innovator in the self-service market, gives us one more tool to reach out to patients and consumers "We view eye health education as an important part of our mission," said Dave Cole, general manager of the Americas, Transitions Optical. "As consumers better understand the importance of taking care of their eyes, they're more likely to make regular appointments. EyeSite is free and convenient, and has real potential to stimulate interest in vision care and increase the number of patients practitioners see."

"Self-service is growing in popularity and partnering with SoloHealth, an innovator in the self-service market, gives us one more tool to reach out to patients and consumers," according to Tom Daniells, VP of Marketing at Optos. "Because EyeSite vision screenings do not replace a full eye exam, we feel it will drive traffic to eye care practitioners, resulting in opportunities for increased sales of products and medical services including our retinal imaging technology."

Established in late 2007, SoloHealth has placed EyeSite kiosks throughout its home base of Atlanta in retail locations such as Walgreens, Kroger, Walmart and regional malls. Since September of 2008, SoloHealth has screened over 100,000 people.

"SoloHealth, combined with these eye care industry leaders, is helping to create new ways to drive additional traffic," said Bart Foster, CEO and founder of SoloHealth. "Results have shown that of the people who have used the EyeSite kiosk, over 25 percent have never visited an eye care professional. Many of those have gone on to book appointments. EyeSite self-service vision testing kiosks educate people about the health benefits of seeing an eye doctor on a regular basis."

About SoloHealth
SoloHealth (http://www.solo-health.com) is an early stage startup in Atlanta, GA that is positioned to capitalize on the growing consumer preference for self-directed healthcare services. SoloHealth's inaugural product is EyeSite™, an interactive kiosk that provides vision health information, as well as a customized vision report, and also directs consumers to an eye care professional nearby.

The company has garnered many awards, earning a spot in the top 5 of Forbes.com's 2008 "Boost Your Business" entrepreneurial contest, chosen from over 1500 companies nation-wide. EyeSite has won three Awards of Excellence, including "Best in Show" at the Kiosk.Com Self Service Expo and The Digital Signage Show in Las Vegas. SoloHealth was also selected as one of the 2008 "Top 40" Innovative Technology companies in Georgia by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) (http://www.tagonline.org), the state's leading technology organization. SoloHealth also was accepted for membership by Georgia Tech's Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) (http://www.atdc.org) in 2008.

About Transitions Optical, Inc.
Transitions Optical, headquartered in Pinellas Park, Fla., was the first to successfully commercialize a plastic photochromic lens in 1990. As the leading provider of photochromics to optical manufacturers,

Transitions Optical offers the most advanced photochromic technology in the widest selection of lens designs and materials.

Transitions Optical's core product line, Transitions® lenses, are the #1-recommended photochromic lenses worldwide. As higher-performing everyday clear lenses, Transitions lenses change from clear indoors and at night to sunglass dark outdoors in proportion to the intensity of UV light. Transitions Optical also offers several special-purpose dynamic sun lenses that change from a tinted state indoors to a darker state outdoors when activated by UV light. These lenses are marketed as Transitions® SOLFX™ sunlenses.

For more information about the company and Transitions lenses, the first to earn the World Council of Optometry's Global Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbers/Blockers and the American Optometric Association's Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbers/Blockers, visit http://www.transitions.com.

About Optos
Optos plc is a leading medical retinal imaging technology company. Both eye and non-eye diseases often first exhibit in the periphery of the retina. These are very difficult to detect clinically with conventional examination equipment and techniques. Optos' devices produce ultra wide-field, high resolution images of approximately 82% of the retina, something no other device is capable of doing in any one image. The images provide optometrists and ophthalmologists with enhanced clinical information which facilitates the early detection, management and treatment of disorders and diseases evidenced in the retina such as retinal detachments and tears, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Retinal imaging can also indicate evidence of non-eye or systemic diseases such as hypertension and certain cancers. For more information, visit http://www.optos.com.

Transitions is a registered trademark of Transitions Optical, Inc. Optos is a registered trademark of Optos, plc.

# # #

Allscripts Integrates Electronic Health Records with Innovative Patient Kiosk

Kiosk Incorporates State-of-the-Art Fujitsu PalmSecure(TM) Biometric Authentication, Self-Service Check In, Credit Card Scanning and Patient Information Updating to Revolutionize Patient Registration Process for Physician Practices

CHICAGO and SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Allscripts (Nasdaq: MDRX) and Fujitsu, a leading provider of IT-based business solutions for the global marketplace, today unveiled the Allscripts Patient Kiosk(TM), the next generation of patient kiosk technology for physician practices. Allscripts Patient Kiosk cost-effectively enhances how patients interact with healthcare providers. The integration of the Fujitsu PalmSecure biometric authentication solution improves the security and privacy of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and other sensitive patient information.

Allscripts (booth #1303) and Fujitsu (booth #325) will demonstrate Allscripts Patient Kiosk during HIMSS09 Annual Conference & Exhibition, April 4-8 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

"Physician practices are always on the lookout for ways to lower costs while improving patient satisfaction, and the Allscripts Patient Kiosk is the answer," said James Hewitt, Chief Information Officer of Springfield Clinic, a 260-provider multi-specialty physician group with 24 locations in Springfield, Ill. and the surrounding 14 counties. "Patients love the kiosk because they are in control." Springfield, who co-developed the healthcare solution with Allscripts to work on the medical kiosk from Fujitsu, will be deploying 50 of the kiosks this quarter.

Allscripts Patient Kiosk also will be deployed this month at the George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates (MFA) in Washington, DC, a 550-physician group made up of the faculty of the George Washington University School of Medicine. Stephen Badger, Chief Executive Officer of MFA, said, "We’re excited that the kiosk will offer our patients the ability to securely check in, using nothing more than their hand on the Fujitsu reader, pay their co-pay, update and correct any mistakes in their personal information and get an alert about an overdue colonoscopy -- all within about two minutes. It’s what our patients want and it saves our practice time and money."

Allscripts Patient Kiosk solves a common patient complaint -- the seemingly endless stream of paperwork they must fill out every time they register for an appointment. Allscripts Patient Kiosk eliminates this frustration while helping physician practices reduce the costs and overhead associated with traditional patient check-in. The integration of the Fujitsu PalmSecure palm vein authentication solution maintains patient confidentiality, privacy and information security. Through the integration with Allscripts Electronic Health Records, Patient Kiosk helps patients take control of their own healthcare with a dashboard view of all their personal information, including a complete health maintenance plan.

Innovations such as Patient Kiosk with integrated Fujitsu PalmSecure technology are vital to ensuring that physician groups not only implement, but fully utilize Electronic Health Records, a key goal of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed by President Barack Obama on February 17, 2009. Allscripts Patient Kiosk delivers real-time updates to Practice Management databases for patient billing information, including the option to make co-payments using a credit card. The system also seamlessly updates the patient’s Allscripts Electronic Health Record, taking a picture to verify their identity and documenting office visits, including procedures undergone by the patient at that time. While accessing the patient’s medical record, reminders can be sent to the kiosk screen for future annual exams and other periodic checkups.

The Allscripts Patient Kiosk is available now through Allscripts, which provides physician practices a full-service kiosk package, from initial design through development, deployment and maintenance.

"Patients want to remove the pain of completing paper forms during every visit and physician practices want nothing more than to find better, faster, more effective ways to complete accurate patient registrations and collect co-pays. The Allscripts Patient Kiosk delivers," said Glen Tullman, Chief Executive Officer of Allscripts. "The kiosk is the latest example of Allscripts ability to partner with our clients and great companies like Fujitsu to quickly deliver highly innovative new products that transform and improve the delivery of healthcare in America."

The Fujitsu PalmSecure technology ensures patient privacy with a highly reliable identification system that scans the unique vein patterns in a person’s hand. The solution uses a near infrared light to capture a patient’s palm vein pattern, generating a unique biometric template that is matched against a database of enrolled users’ palm-vein patterns. This advanced, vascular-pattern recognition technology provides a highly accurate type of authentication -- The PalmSecure false acceptance ratio is just 0.00008 percent -- in a form factor that is non-intrusive, easy to use and that generates extremely fast comparisons. The system ensures that only patients have access to their medical records and information, complying with strict HIPAA patient privacy guidelines.

"The integration of PalmSecure into the Allscripts Patient Kiosk is a step forward in helping to protect electronic health records, while speeding up check in processes that save physician clinics time and money," said Josh Napua, Vice President, Healthcare Solution Group, Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. "We believe that Springfield Clinic and Medical Faculty Associates can be examples to the healthcare industry of how delivery of patient services can be more streamlined and secure, providing a better experience for administrators, nurses, doctors and most importantly, the patient."

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is a leading provider of IT-based business solutions for the global marketplace. With approximately 160,000 employees supporting customers in 70 countries, Fujitsu combines a worldwide corps of systems and services experts with highly reliable computing and communications products and advanced microelectronics to deliver added value to customers. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 5.3 trillion yen (US$53 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008. For more information, please see: http://us.fujitsu.com/fcpa.

About Allscripts

Allscripts uses innovation technology to bring health to healthcare. More than 150,000 physicians, 700 hospitals and nearly 7,000 post-acute and homecare organizations utilize Allscripts to improve the health of their patients and their bottom line. The company’s award-winning solutions include electronic health records, electronic prescribing, revenue cycle management, practice management, document management, medication services, hospital care management, emergency department information systems and homecare automation. Allscripts is the brand name of Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. To learn more, visit www.allscripts.com.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding future events, developments, the Company’s future performance, as well as management’s expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, estimates or projections relating to the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are outlined below. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are: the volume and timing of systems sales and installations; length of sales cycles and the installation process; the possibility that products will not achieve or sustain market acceptance; the timing, cost and success or failure of new product and service introductions, development and product upgrade releases; competitive pressures including product offerings, pricing and promotional activities; our ability to establish and maintain strategic relationships; undetected errors or similar problems in our software products; compliance with existing laws, regulations and industry initiatives and future changes in laws or regulations in the healthcare industry; possible regulation of the Company’s software by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the possibility of product-related liabilities; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to identify and complete acquisitions, manage our growth and integrate acquisitions; the ability to recognize the benefits of the merger with Misys Healthcare Systems, LLC ("MHS"); the integration of MHS with the Company and the possible disruption of current plans and operations as a result thereof; maintaining our intellectual property rights and litigation involving intellectual property rights; risks related to third-party suppliers; our ability to obtain, use or successfully integrate third-party licensed technology; breach of our security by third parties; and the risk factors detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K available through the Web site maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Fujitsu and the Fujitsu logo are registered trademarks and The Possibilities are Infinite is a trademark of Fujitsu Ltd. Allscripts Patient Kiosk is a trademark of Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Statements herein are based on normal operating conditions and are not intended to create any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Fujitsu and Allscripts reserve the right to modify at any time without notice these statements, our services, products, and their warranty and performance specifications.

Allscripts Contacts:
Dan Michelson
Chief Marketing Officer
312-506-1217
[email protected]

Todd Stein
Senior Manager/Public Relations
312-506-1216
[email protected]

Fujitsu Contacts:
Erin Sun
Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc.
408/746-7249
[email protected]

Dan Borgasano
Schwartz Communications
781/684-6660
[email protected]
SOURCE Fujitsu

Interactive kiosks expanding beyond patient check-ins

Adoption of patient kiosks, simply defined as an interactive computerized system designed for self-service tasks, are on the rise, according to a study released earlier this month by the California HealthCare Foundation.

Technically Speaking. By Pamela Lewis Dolan, AMNews staff. Posted March 30, 2009.

A practical look at information technology issues and usage

Adoption of patient kiosks, simply defined as an interactive computerized system designed for self-service tasks, are on the rise, according to a study released earlier this month by the California HealthCare Foundation.

While hospitals have been among the first to adopt the systems in outpatient and emergency departments, the study indicates patient kiosks could soon be a common sight in other ambulatory settings as well.
Several physician practices are using the systems to expedite the check-in process. But kiosks also can enable automation of many routine tasks, including insurance verification and billing, and patient education. They also can be used to elicit answers to routine questions typically asked at the start of each clinical visit or patient satisfaction questions at the end of a visit. A system under development at Massachusetts General Hospital has the capability of recording a patient's medical history, obtaining vitals and even performing simple blood tests, such as those measuring glucose or cholesterol levels.

What your patient kiosk can do will not only depend on how much you want to spend, but also on what other technologies your practice has or is willing to adopt.

Gary Grandovic, director of the West Boca Diagnostic Imaging Center in Boca Raton, Fla., said his organization adopted the technology about a year ago as a beta test site for its parent company, Tenet Healthcare Corp. As part of the pilot program, the center adopted the kiosks as a way of speeding up the check-in process.

The technology has allowed the center to see about 15 to 20 additional patients per day by reducing the check-in time from about 10 minutes per patient to two minutes. It has not, however, eliminated the need for front desk help.

Experts say no kiosk deployment should ever completely eliminate administrative staff. Not every patient will want to use a kiosk, and use by some patients would not benefit the practice.

Grandovic said at his facility, patients with outstanding issues, such as co-pays that are due or personal information that needs updating, go entirely through the administrative staff. And while other patients perform most of their check-in procedures at the kiosks, patients still must be met by staff members upon entering the office.

"We still need to check ID and make sure the patient is who they say they are." Grandovic said the amount of staff has not been reduced, but some staff time has been opened up for other tasks.

Because West Boca's pilot program was a success, the center is adding a payment function to its kiosks, which it hopes will prompt more people to pay at the time of service. Grandovic said the machines already have a card swiper. But they will need to be programmed to operate with the facility's practice-management and billing system.

Experts say there are other financial benefits to be gained from the use of kiosks, including reduced paper costs and reduced staff time for chart filing.

But those benefits will only be realized if the kiosks are part of a wired practice with a fully functional EMR. Otherwise, the kiosks will only be forcing administrative staff to deal with the paperwork on the back end as opposed to the front end.

David Gulian, president and CEO of InfoLogix, a Hatboro, Pa.-based health technology company, argues that even then, the kiosks should have more functionalities than simply checking patients in.

"I don't know of anyone that can come up with [a return on investment] and why you should put a kiosk in versus signing on a piece of paper saying 'I'm here,' " he said. A kiosk that has the ability to ask the questions a doctor would normally ask in the first few minutes of a visit would not only save check-in time, but also reduce the time the doctor spends in the exam room.

Beyond the financial benefits, Virginia Cardin, DrPH, senior research health care consultant for the market research firm Frost & Sullivan, said patient kiosks hold enormous potential for patient education and prevention. Cardin has consulted with several practices that are placing kiosks or handheld devices in reception areas to serve only an educational purpose. She said the kiosks are interactive and have a variety of programs on various health concerns that patients might be too embarrassed to talk about with their physicians. The kiosks can also prompt a patient to ask questions about lingering problems that they may have otherwise brushed off.

Cardin said she sees the potential for practices to become so wired that the patient kiosks could not only check patients in, but provide interactive programming based on the patient's medical history.

Depending on the functionality of the systems, kiosks could cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to implement. Grandovic said the West Boca facility spent about $14,000 to build its kiosk areas, not including the hardware and software, which its parent company supplied. Gulian said the technology his company uses, which includes not only the kiosks but the EMR, practice-management system and ongoing IT support, costs between $3,000 and $7,000 per month, per practice, to operate.

According to Cardin, many kiosks, especially those used for patient education, contain advertisements throughout the programming that can help practices defray the cost. But "the best ones I have seen do not have advertising," she said.

Elizabeth Warren, a health care attorney for Nashville, Tenn.-based Bass Berry & Sims, says that regardless of the purpose the kiosk will serve, practices need to be aware of potential legal ramifications. Not only do the systems need to be HIPAA-compliant and contain such safeguards as metadata tracking who entered what data and when, but practices need to include the kiosks in programs to protect against identity theft.

Warren said practices need to be aware of the potential violation of anti-kickback and Stark rules in situations where outside companies provide sponsorship of kiosks. She referred to a February 2008 ruling by the Office of Inspector General that allowed a pharmaceutical company to sponsor kiosks that provided patient education.

Dolan is a business reporter. She can be reached at 312-464-5412 or by e-mail ([email protected]).

Customer Flow & Healthcare Kiosk Solutions

Managing customer flow situations is increasingly a great tool for businesses to utilize. That could mean managing patient and outpatient flow in medical and clinic environments, and extend to visitor flow, student flow, laboratory and pharmacy flow. There are solutions available now from KIOSK they have published. See their linebusters and queue management solutions page [Click Here], as well as their HealthCare Kiosk section [link]

Highlights:

Pharmacy Flow and Patient Flow

• MAXIMIZE PATIENT THROUGHPUT through enhanced public guidance systems, more effective patient reception, routing methodologies and smarter utilization of staff resources.

• ACCESS REAL-TIME METRICS that measure wait and transaction
  times, total service time and abandonment/diversion rates. The ACF
  solution features easy-to-use statistical tools that provide an enterprise
  view of productivity, service and performance levels, customer fl ow
  patterns and more.

• TRACK THE ENTIRE PRESCRIPTION FILL PROCESS along with the
  patient fl ow. The ACF Solution utilizes MS SQL as its core database,
  which allows pharmacies to port in real-time data from their automated
  distribution applications. Pharmacy managers can now merge the two
  data sets allowing for more enhanced oversight and benchmarking of
  organizational goals.

Patient Flow

• MAXIMIZE PATIENT THROUGHPUT through enhanced public guidance systems, more effective patient reception, routing methodologies and smarter utilization of staff resources.

• ACCESS REAL-TIME METRICS that measure wait and transaction
  times, total service time and abandonment/diversion rates. The ACF
  solution features easy-to-use statistical tools that provide an enterprise
  view of productivity, service and performance levels, customer fl ow
  patterns and more.

• TRACK THE ENTIRE PATIENT PROCESS from the moment they arrive
  to the moment they leave. Even if the patient is transferred to another
  physical location, as long as they are in the enterprise, their fl ow data is
  tracked and maintained.
  

See linebusters and queue management solutions page [Click Here], as well as their HealthCare Kiosk section [link]