By M.T. Yogesh Kumar

Mysore/Mysuru: A QR code-enabled  Outpatient Department (OPD) registration facility has been introduced at Mysuru District Hospital on KRS Road, aiming to alleviate the long queues of patients. This innovation allows patients to conveniently register using their smartphones.

Yesterday, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr. K.V. Rajendra visited the Hospital and asked the patients, who were standing in a long queue, to make use of this patient-friendly initiative.

Patients seeking medical attention at the OPD of the large health facility are often burdened by extended waiting times. Queues can stretch for hours, even an entire day, with some patients required to return on a subsequent day for their doctor’s visit. Additionally, the crowded OPD halls pose a risk of cross-infection, particularly with communicable diseases. The lengthy manual process of entering patients’ basic demographic information — such as name, age, gender and address — is the primary cause of congestion during registration.

During busy hours, the chaos and noise further hinder data entry operators at the counters, leading to compromised data quality. To address these challenges, the District Hospital has launched a ‘Scan and Share’ service for expedited OPD registrations.

Centre’s initiative

This initiative falls under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and is facilitated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in partnership with the National Health Authority (NHA).

In the patient registration areas of the Hospital, distinctive QR codes are prominently displayed. By scanning these QR codes using health applications like the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) app or Aarogya Setu app, patients can swiftly share essential information, including name, age, gender and unique health ID (ABHA number) with the hospital’s Health Management Information System (HMIS).

Utilising this information, the hospital’s HMIS generates a token or queue number for the patients, which is then sent to their mobile phones. Patients can wait in designated areas until their token number is displayed on overhead screens. The HMIS efficiently manages the OPD load and assigns token numbers accordingly, ensuring paperless registration and instant token generation.

Optimises resource allocation

This streamlined process not only saves time for patients but also optimises resource allocation for registration purposes. Moreover, this digital linkage of health records with the ABHA offers patients convenient access to their records through their smartphones.

Individuals who do not possess a smartphone can also benefit from this service. These citizens can visit any ABDM-enabled facility. If an individual already possesses an existing ABHA card, they can have it scanned at the OPD counter to complete their registration.

For citizens who do not already possess an ABHA card, the process can still be initiated within the health facility itself. ABHA cards can be generated on-site at the health facility, with the assistance of ABDM volunteers deployed at ABDM-enabled hospitals. The ‘Scan and Share’ service exemplifies the positive impact of technology on patient services and system efficiency. Doctors at the hospital believe this approach reduces issues related to incomplete and inaccurate data entry.