A Connecticut imaging practice recently began using a mobile application to allow its customers to wait in the parking lot until it’s their turn to receive care.
Advanced Radiology said its goal is goal is to better manage patient flow while also providing the “safest possible exam experience” for all parties involved, according to a May 1 announcement.
"Our first priority has always been the health and safety of our patients," CEO Clark Yoder said in a statement. "The Wait in Car application empowers us to help prevent the spread of the virus, while providing a safer, less stressful environment for our patients and our staff."
Advanced Radiology is based in Shelton, Connecticut, and will use the app across its handful of locations in the state. Patients will receive a notification text the day of their appointments, with a link allowing them to both alert practice staff when they arrive and share normal intake information, including answering COVID-screening questions. After they’re finished, staff send another text to let patrons know when it’s OK to come inside.
This is just one of several steps Advanced Radiology is taking to counter COVID-19’s impact, with staffers also wearing personal protective equipment and disinfecting machines after each exam. The practice implemented the new check-in app in partnership with technology firm eInformatics.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.