Case Study – Avatar Queuing at ALYN Hospital
Overview
ALYN Hospital is acknowledged worldwide as a premier hospital specializing in pediatric rehabilitation. ALYN's reputation in diagnosing and rehabilitating infants, children, and adolescents with physical disabilities, both congenital and acquired, is meticulous.
ALYN's various departments and services include: the Rehabilitation Department, the Day Hospitalization Rehabilitation Department, the Respiratory Rehabilitation Department, Multidisciplinary Outpatient Clinics, the Rehabilitation Educational and Medical Day Care Facility, incorporating infant, kindergarten and school classes, The Therapeutic Sports Center and the Legacy Heritage Independent Living Neighborhood for Ventilator-Assisted Young Adults. In addition, ALYN is a center of research and teaching for professionals training in the field of pediatric rehabilitation.
In 2019, the hospital reached out to Q-nomy to procure a queue management system for the outpatient clinics.
The Challenge
The unique challenge in managing queues at the hospital comes from the fact that the patients are children. Kids and their parents sometimes have to wait a while for their turn, which puts their patience to the test.
ALYN, therefore, wished for the queue system to create a pleasant waiting experience. The goal was to reduce both the actual and perceived waiting time.
The Solution
Q-nomy provided ALYN with Q-Flow advanced queue management software. To reduce the waiting duration, the Q-Flow system gives hospital management complete control over patient routing, according to the current workload and business needs.
Of particular interest is the innovative way in which Q-Flow delivered a better waiting experience. To this end, Q-nomy implemented its patented Avatar Queue Management module. The module provides each patient with an illustrated image, such as dinosaurs, various animals, and so on. The images represent the patient on the kiosk and digital signage screens.
The process is as following:
- The patient – here, a child – arrives at the clinic, accompanied by a parent.
- The parent would usually identify the patient to check-in at the kiosk.
- The kiosk then presents images of colorful avatars. The child chooses one avatar by clicking on it.
- The kiosk prints the "queue ticket", which includes the selected avatar and other details.
- The system also offers the option to print a large wire-frame version of the avatar on a full-size paper, which the child may color while waiting.
- Digital displays located around the waiting area present the queue – and here, unlike traditional take-a-number systems, patients appear on the screen as their avatar of choice.
- When the doctor invites the next patient to enter, their avatar pops up on the screen, and the audio system calls them forward.
The Results
The deployment of Q-Flow at ALYN hospital was a success:
- Waiting times at the clinic were reduced significantly.
- The inclusion of avatars in patient flow management contributed to a positive experience for children and parents.
"Children who come here often face complicated medical procedures," said Ms. Nechama Feder-Twitto, the outpatient clinic manager. "Avatar queuing has added some joy and humor to their journey, which they and their parents appreciate very much."
