Rochester Mayo Clinic installs new interactive kiosks

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) — Mayo Clinic has installed dozens of interactive kiosks throughout its Rochester campus aimed at making it easier for patients to check in for appointments.

The devices are part of Mayo Clinic’s $1.5 billion transition to Epic Systems technology, the Post Bulletin reported. The kiosks are part of a new online patient portal and have been installed at other Mayo Clinic Health Systems locations in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The kiosks will next be installed in Arizona and Florida.

“Kiosks are being implemented to offer patients another option to check in for their appointments. Patients will still be able to check in at the desk,” Mayo Clinic Medical Director of Connected Care Dr. Steve Ommen. “The digital check-in process is one option to help patients check in easily, with the ability to answer questions and update information built into a digital process.”

Patients will be able to use the kiosks to check and pay their bills.

The kiosks won’t replace employees, Mayo Clinic said. The kiosks will free up staff so they can spend more time with patients, Ommen said.

“Loss of jobs is not part of the implementation of the kiosks,” he said. “Rather, patients using the kiosk will free staff time, so staff can help patients who need more time for check-in and more time to complete questionnaires and forms.”

Mayo Clinic previously tried to implement kiosks with HealthSpot in 2014. The Ohio-based company created kiosks that were like a booth and allowed patients to interact with a doctor remotely. The project failed and HealthSpot ceased operations in January 2016.