With the help of the QR code-based OPD registration service, patients can share information about themselves with the hospital by scanning a unique QR code for the hospital with their smartphone (using the camera or scanner, an ABHA app, an Arogya Setu app, or any other ABDM-enabled app).
New Delhi: The National Health Authority (NHA) is conducting a pilot for a faster OPD registration service at the new OPD block of Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) & Smt Sucheta Kriplani Hospital (SSKH) in New Delhi as part of its flagship program Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). With this service, both current and new patients can easily share their demographic information with the hospital, such as name, father’s name, age, gender, address, and mobile number, by simply scanning a QR Code. This provides accurate information for the hospital record, shortens the time spent at the OPD registration counter, and—most importantly—avoids waiting in long lines. According to plans, other medical facilities and departments will soon receive the service.
The hospital’s unique QR code can be scanned by patients using their mobile phone’s camera, scanner, ABHA app, Arogya Setu app, or any other ABDM-enabled app to share their profile information with the facility. The hospital gives a token number once the profile has been shared (queue number). For patients’ convenience, the token generated is displayed on screens at the OPD registration counters and sent as a notification to the patient’s chosen app. The patient can go to the registration counter and pick up their outpatient slip (OP slip) for a doctor consultation based on their token number because their information is already on file.
According to Dr. RS Sharma, CEO of the NHA, when discussing the advantages of this service, “Under the ABDM, we’re using technology to simplify processes and improve healthcare efficiency. The rapid OPD registration service based on QR codes is a step in the right direction. Within 15 days of this pilot in LHMC & SSKH, it assisted over 2200 patients in avoiding the hassle of long lines with significantly reduced waiting times and minimal time at the registration counter. Direct profile sharing has also improved patient records in terms of accuracy. Our team is collaborating with other medical facilities and departments to expand this service and assist more patients.
To set up a faster registration service for their OPD block using a QR code, the ABDM team collaborated closely with the LHMC/SSKH team. Appropriate messaging and kiosks were installed to drastically cut down on patient waiting times. Support staff was also posted to help the patients and explain the procedures and advantages of using this service. Additionally, the team assisted the patients in obtaining their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) numbers, enabling them to digitize their medical records. To save patients time and effort, these services will now be offered at more medical facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, diagnostic labs, etc.
