Why Do Doctors Have Reception Windows?

When we think of AI, at least lately it’s help desks, support chats, YouTube recommendations, and we are getting comfortable with using them. It’s not always easy, I’ve encountered support chats that now have almost cartoon levels of intelligence where I used to get a human. Defeating the AI is not easy, neither is getting the right answer.

Fast forward a few years from now, and why wouldn’t your average doctor’s office eliminate the reception window in favor of a kiosk, or a couple of kiosks? What are the primary functions of the window? Check-in, taking bill payments, scheduling appointments, and answering questions. Prior to the AI boom, the first 3 could already be done easily by a kiosk. Now, with generative AI and large language models, there’s no reason “Answering Questions” can’t also be done. A button can be provided to summon a human from the back office.

A natural extension of this would be a website you could go to while sitting in the waiting room to do all of these functions on your own phone.

You already ring and bag your own groceries half the time.

The automated reception window, I’ll call it, is coming. Soon.

4/19/2024