Appointment QR code idea.

For complex topics that regular users would not be interested in. For power users and database administrators.
Post Reply
bpcomp
Posts: 304
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:30 am
Location: Tucson, AZ
Contact:

Appointment QR code idea.

Post by bpcomp » Thu Oct 08, 2015 10:45 am

So I had this idea today that we could have a QR code generated for a specific appointment at checkout so that patients could just scan the appointment directly into the calendar on their phone. I've done a little looking into this and I think the best approach is as a plugin. I haven't looked at the plugin architecture and it is probably over my head but it seems like it could be fairly straight forward.

Query the database, return info and format it as follows:

Code: Select all

BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Hubrich Dental Appointment
DTSTART:20151008T174500Z
DTEND:20151008T184500Z
LOCATION:9131 E. Speedway Blvd.
DESCRIPTION:Dental appointment for John Doe.
END:VEVENT
Pass formatted information on to a qr code generator like https://code.google.com/p/qrencode-win32/ and out pops a QR code that the patient can scan and have all the information for their appointment imported into their calendar.

To see the QR code in action and some better understanding of how it is generated, see http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/

ForrestGumpDDS
Posts: 177
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 3:31 pm

Re: Appointment QR code idea.

Post by ForrestGumpDDS » Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:06 pm

I think it's an interesting idea.
I just see 2 things that may become an obstacle.
1. You have to display it somewhere, and it cannot be a screen of the frontdesk desktop. Something like a screen-pad, like a mouse pad which is capable of show output.
2. The patient will need to have a scanner app on his phone installed and easily accessible.
Entering an appointment by hand is probably easier because the process usually goes like this: FD: "When would be the good time for you to come, Mr Doe?". JD;"Ehm... let me see my calendar...". So at this point John Doe is already holding his calendar by his face and is ready to click on the button "create a new appointment".
In my scenario Mr Doe has to do a request for the time, then a frontdesk person inputs some data and then it gets displayed on that screen-pad and then gets scanned by Mr. Doe... I think it's too long.

bpcomp
Posts: 304
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:30 am
Location: Tucson, AZ
Contact:

Re: Appointment QR code idea.

Post by bpcomp » Mon Nov 02, 2015 7:44 am

I agree that the first go round would be more cumbersome, but every subsequent time would be more streamlined IMO. We've had several instances where a patient had inputted the appointment data into their calendar wrong and showed up on the wrong day or didn't show up for their appointment. I think that most patients would not use it but we see more and more of our patients managing their lives on a mobile device and I think that looking for ways to automate should be explored.

My idea scenario is that the patient has gone through the process before and has a scanner app already installed. The receptionist has an appointment on the pin board and discusses time and date options with the patient who has their calendar open. They come up with something that works for both parties and the receptionist places the appointment on the schedule and then clicks one button which sends a QR code to a screen like a tablet which is sitting on the counter next to the patient. The patient switches to their scanner app and scans the code. They accept the appointment that is offered by scanning the code. They now have a calendar appointment entered into their phone which includes our address, phone number, and a reminder to please let us know in advance if they need to cancel or reschedule. The only way there is an error for entry is if the receptionist places the appointment wrong on our schedule. Another thought is if we can generate a .cal file to email to the patient which they can import into their calendar at home.

Post Reply