Healthcare is one of the most sensitive industries, where each patient and stakeholder’s life is crucial. As we step into a newer world filled with the latest technological advancements, it’s important to remember that healthcare, too, has implemented creative concepts like autonomous checkout systems. Using autonomous checkout solutions can be the best option for healthcare centers as they are open 24/7.
If you’re interested in how autonomous checkout systems are helping the healthcare industry, keep reading this think piece!
1. Contactless Experience
Ever since the Covid pandemic, people have given increased importance to contactless payment systems. And when it comes to healthcare, it’s even more important to ensure a safe and hygienic experience.
For example, in hospital retail stores with a contactless checkout solution, customers (staff and patient’s family) can grab necessities like over-the-counter medicines (ones that don’t require pharmacist’s oversight), packaged food, stationery, and other products and leave.
The system, using its AI algorithms, sensors, and high-resolution cameras, accurately bills each customer directly, and then customers pay through digital wallets or credit or debit cards.
A contactless checkout system reduces the possibility of crowding or close contact with store staff, ensuring the hospital and its visitors are safe.
2. Shorter Waiting Times
In a healthcare facility, time is of great essence. Even a delay of a second can cause major consequences, which is why the industry needs to adapt to systems that ensure a shorter waiting time.
When caregivers or the patient’s loved ones stand in unending queues, there is a potential danger to the patient.
With the help of autonomous checkout systems, healthcare facilities can completely eliminate the need for wait lines for checkout. This ensures that the crowd is always moving forward because each payment is made digitally within seconds.
Since the in-store traffic is constantly moving, the waiting time is considerably reduced or eliminated.
This also gives a good impression of the healthcare facility, which drives in more patients and customers!
3. Better Operational Revenues
Autonomous checkout systems are also quite efficient when it comes to managing inventory levels. A large portion of the operational revenue is dependent on the inventory levels.
Automated checkout solutions provide information about stock levels to the facility owners or the inventory in charge.
For example, if there is a snack area and a particular brand of snacks or other product is about to go out of stock or is in high demand in a particular season, the system will notify the authorities immediately.
These checkout services also provide real-time metrics on which drugs and medical devices are sold most often. This helps hospital authorities estimate what they must keep in stock to streamline staff and patient experience.
4. Accessible Meals
One of the biggest advantages of automated checkout systems is their flexibility. Even though healthcare staff and doctors have access to a canteen, they often miss their meals while performing their duties.
They may only be able to grab a small bite late at night when the canteen is already closed. This is especially true for night shifters. automated
Autonomous checkout systems are open 24/7, where they can access meals. The facilities can offer a large number of packaged meals.
Whenever someone in the hospital or clinic is hungry, they can simply take the items on display and grab a bite!
This move not only supports the well-being of employees but also addresses flexible dining options.
5. Reduced Workload
By using autonomous checkout systems, healthcare facilities can eliminate certain store positions like cashiers. This saves the hiring, training, and overhead costs of these positions. The facility can invest the saved funds in improved hygiene and patient care.
They can also redeploy existing checkout staff in more critical areas like inventory or patient assistance.
6. Real-Time Data
Autonomous checkout systems are also concerned with real-time data monitoring from IoT devices and AI sensor cameras.
Since data is at the heart of security and privacy, healthcare professionals and other staff can accurately monitor different real-time metrics, such as daily sales and the kind of patients visiting the hospital more frequently.
Through the consumption and payment patterns of customers, the hospital can make adequate changes.
For example, if most patients have constantly been purchasing medicines to treat a certain type of disease, doctors can check patient records to study disease prevalence and take special measures to cure it.
