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Dallas ER's self check-in kiosks eliminate lines and maximize privacy

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, July 23, 2007

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Dallas' Parkland Memorial Hospital, is the first hospital to use self check-in kiosks in an emergency room, according to The Dallas Morning News. The kiosks are similar to those found in airports, so patients can enter their information and heath problems and then sit down to wait their turn to see medical staff instead of waiting in line. The computers also help the emergency room staff members prioritize patients whose conditions may be serious though invisible to onlookers. The system automatically alerts emergency room staff members when patients enter in symptoms that are particularly dangerous, such as an older person complaining of chest pains. And in case patients are unable to use the kiosks or to have trouble doing so, the emergency room ensures that nurses are available to help.

In addition to cutting down on lines and wait times, the kiosk system also increases the emergency room's HIPAA compliance by greatly diminishing the amount of incidental disclosures that regularly occur in the loud, crowded, and often chaotic space. Patients have commented that they appreciate the privacy that the kiosks provide, as they are now able to enter their personal information and any potentially awkward conditions without fear of eavesdroppers, says The Dallas Morning News.

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