Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Leads New Jersey as First Hospital to Deploy Self-Service Kiosks in the Emergency Department

Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, recently deployed self-service technology from NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) in its emergency department to help staff prioritize treatment based on medical urgency. The 673-bed Newark, N.J.-based regional teaching hospital is using NCR’s MediKiosk, a self-service check-in kiosk that helps hospital staff better manage patient volume by enabling them to prioritize patients based on the severity of their medical conditions. Between 1995 and 2005, hospitals experienced a 20 percent increase in emergency department visits, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Conversely, the number of existing emergency departments decreased by nine percent during the same time period. "One of our top priorities is making patients feel as comfortable as possible in what can be an overwhelming environment,” said Amy Doran, MS, APN-C, assistant vice president at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. "By implementing NCR’s MediKiosk in our emergency department, we have been able to expedite services and provide patients with a system that is easy to navigate.” Upon arrival at the emergency department, patients proceed to one of three wall-mounted registration kiosks—rather than waiting in line to explain their symptoms—where they choose either English or Spanish to begin the check-in process. Patients in wheelchairs are provided with one of three portable devices for registration. Patients then identify themselves by entering their name on the touch screen, along with an additional identifier, such as a birth date. They indicate the nature of their visit and their symptoms by pointing to areas on a body diagram where they feel pain and answering brief questions. Once the process is complete, the data is sent to the emergency room’s main computer system, where a nurse is able to review and monitor patient information. Newark Beth Israel began using MediKiosk in 2005 in a number of hospital departments, including oncology, same-day surgery, pre-admission testing and in its adult and pediatric clinics. Since implementation of NCR MediKiosk in the emergency department, Newark Beth Israel has reduced patient wait times by an average of one hour. "Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’s decision to expand the use of NCR MediKiosk to the emergency department signifies the important role self-service technology is playing in healthcare—from improving the patient experience to enhancing the delivery of care,” said Chakri Toleti, vice president, Healthcare Industry Marketing at NCR. "This approach provides patients with a less stressful experience by eliminating the need to wait in line upon arrival at the facility.” NCR’s MediKiosk is part of a comprehensive suite of products that allows hospitals and clinics to provide patient self-service capabilities such as preregistration via the Web, Online BillPay, eSignature for digital capture of patient signatures and eClipboards™, NCR’s wireless patient check-in solution. 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, gaming and public sector organizations in more than 100 countries. NCR (www.ncr.com) is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries.