Spotted in real life: Windows Embedded making life a little easier for patients

Posted By Steve Dunbar
Windows Embedded Lead, Northern Europe

My experience of seeing doctors is vague and somewhat negative, due to me being a typical bloke who services his car more often than he visits his doctor. I recently had no choice, though, and booked an appointment through the antiquated phone-booking process. The appointment was duly scheduled (after trading a few calls--it’s easier to get tea with the queen!). The day arrived, and I ventured into my local clinic to seek out a sage-like doctor to alleviate me of my man-flu symptoms.

I entered the clinic expecting to give my key ID details to the receptionist, and then take one of the multi-colored numbered disks from the wall (representing each doctor and where you were in the queue) and wait my turn. But to my surprise, the disks had very recently been replaced by several devices. I was ask to tap details into the digital display touch-screen by the entrance. The display was running Windows Embedded with an ISV app that linked my name and doctor directly to another Windows Embedded digital display screen in the waiting room. Not quite an intelligent system, but on its way to being one.

As I waited my turn, I wondered how the older generation was coping with this new technology. My question was answered almost immediately as a very senior gent in checked woolen jacket and cap shuffled in with his walking stick and headed to the receptionist. “I have an appointment,” he said. “You have to put your details into the touch screen at the door. Do you know how to do that?” the receptionist inquired. To which he responded, “Do I look stupid? I operated radar in the war, you know!” The pensioner completed the task and sat down to wait, followed by several more patients, young and old, who used the system with little help. All seemed happy that they didn’t have to wait for the receptionist to help. Now if only the clinic could join the appointment-booking processes to the system to give an even better experience. One day…

Read about some connected Windows Embedded solutions for healthcare on our website.