Samsung Medical Center has introduced a mobile admission process to simplify patient hospitalisation. 

According to the hospital, it now takes five steps – down from 10 – to get admitted to SMC. A patient will first receive access to the mobile admission site via text message. From there, they can select available rooms, complete a COVID-19 questionnaire and test, and sign administrative forms.

After this, the patient can proceed to the centre's payment or registration desk where they will receive an ID wristband and hospitalisation guide leaflet. Once received, they can be admitted to the inpatient ward. 

SMC says that its new admission process – which has been in place since end-October – takes about five minutes to complete, compared to the average time of 20-30 minutes previously.

WHY IT MATTERS

SMC told Healthcare IT News that going mobile has brought "high" customer satisfaction to them as the process has reduced wait and procedure time, allowing them to deliver medical services more quickly. 

Aside from providing convenience, the mobile admission process has also minimised the risk of infections, especially from COVID-19, due to minimal physical interaction. However, patients will still have to present themselves for the confirmation of their COVID-19 test results. But once the pandemic is over, "all hospitalisation procedures can be completed through their mobile phones, anywhere".

THE LARGER TREND

SMC has been simplifying its hospitalisation process for patients since it was set up. A year after it was founded in 1995, the hospital put up a post-payment system – the first South Korean healthcare provider to do so. Later in 2017, it was the first in the industry to remove the joint guarantor form during admission.

The hospital, which is currently working to get the highest certification for the HIMSS Infrastructure Adoption Model, was recently commended by the Minister of Health and Welfare for its smart logistics system. It has been using unmanned vehicles, such as automated delivery robots, to replace personal transportation within the hospital. It also expects to complete its transition from daytime logistics to nighttime logistics by the second half of the year.

ON THE RECORD

"This first offering of a mobile hospitalisation service in Korea is the result of seeking service innovation so that patients can use the hospital more conveniently. We will continue to do our best to improve the hospital experience in the future," said Okryong Park, vice president of SMC's Clinical Affairs Office.