UMCG Improves Accessibility with Digital Registration Desk

Human contact must still be limited as much as possible due to the corona pandemic. For University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) this means that they also wish to limit visits from patients to the hospital whenever possible. They already used Enovation Zaurus to conduct video consultations with their patients, but they were keen to explore how other facets of the patient journey could be digitized in a patient friendly manner: like the registration process.

From physical to digital

Previously, patients had to visit the hospital physically in order to register as a new patient. Besides the fact that this costs patients a lot of time and energy, this extra contact during the corona pandemic was not desirable.

As with other facets of the patient journey, the corona virus acted as a catalyst for innovation – innovations that will continue to add value even after the pandemic is finally over.

By using a digital registration desk, the patient saves time, the registration process is more accessible for people with, for example, mobility problems and the UMCG can limit walk-in traffic in the hospital, which is currently safer for everyone.

The digital registration desk

The digital registration desk operates as follows: patients now receive a QR-code with their appointment letter. When they scan this QR-code, they will be directed to a page with a live chat window. This is the Enovation Zaurus live chat, regulated by digital assistant Laura.

Laura will ask some basic questions and then refer the patient to a ‘real’ UMCG employee, who will then start a video call with the patient. The employee will then handle the rest of the registration process, by asking for the patient’s Social Security Number and health insurance card and checking the patient’s ID. When everything is in order, the patient will receive a registration code for the hospital’s patient environment.

This way, UMCG staff can go through the same steps as they would with a physical registration and the full process meets the requirements of the UMCG.

Your very own digital registration desk

The combination of digital assistant Laura and our live chat module can be used for digital registration desks like described in this article, digital service points and digital walk-in consultation hours. Feel free to ask us about the possibilities, we are happy to tell you more.