According to the World Health Organization's 2021 "World Report on Hearing," approximately 20% of the world's population has hearing loss ranging from a mild loss to deafness. These individuals often do not receive help until hearing loss impacts their quality of life, if at all.

This same publication even outlines that "adults typically wait as long as nine to ten years before seeking any hearing care" and "to address this gap, it is essential to provide active screening services for older adults in an easy and accessible manner"

The MedRx Kiosk is designed to reach those in need of easy and accessible hearing screenings—before it affects their lives. Placed in various locations around your community, the MedRx Kiosk presents a casual hearing screening experience for patients. Simultaneously, you collect an abundance of new leads and contacts for your business—ultimately growing your practice and increasing profits. 

From development to distribution, see how simple the MedRx Kiosk makes gathering new patients in your community!

MedRx Kiosk

Patients usually don't present themselves to you looking for a hearing test. In fact, as mentioned above, many go without hearing health care for far too long. This means that sometimes, you must seek them out yourself. You may already do this by posting flyers, sending out advertisements, or telling your patients to recommend your practice to their friends. The MedRx Kiosk hearing screener is similar to these marketing tools in that it helps you collect new patient leads. However, when used in combination with our Hearing BI software, the Kiosk not only collects leads, but also manages them in a cloud-based software.

US KIOSK STAND WITH CUSTOMIZED SIGNAGE

What Is the MedRx Kiosk?

The MedRx Kiosk is a self-service hearing screening tablet managed by your practice. It can be placed anywhere from your own waiting room to other physician’s offices to gather new leads and report hearing screening results in real-time.

It’s also a versatile business solution for practices looking to increase their traffic and revenue. Our thoughtful hardware and software designs afford you ideal flexibility and functionality to exponentially grow your customer database.  

What Does a Step-by-Step Screening Look Like?

From a patient's point of view, using the MedRx Kiosk is quick and straightforward. In under 5 minutes, patients can see screening results and determine the need to contact your office for a follow-up appointment. A typical patient screening will follow these steps:

Step 1: Click START on the main screen

Step 2: Enter contact information

Step 3: Click to begin the test and put on headphones 

Step 4: Patient proceeds through 1 of 3 air conduction tests

Step 5: Click DONE when screening is complete

Step 6: Results are sent to the patient through the email provided at the beginning of the test

When a patient has completed the screening test, they will receive an email from HearingBI with their test results.

How Was the Kiosk Designed and Developed?

The MedRx Kiosk’s design is optimized for effortless lead generation. Engineers and developers at MedRx carefully curated its elements to create a seamless patient and provider experience.

Hardware

The Kiosk is the first MedRx product developed with multiple setup options. The basic screening setup consists of a Windows Surface Go tablet and DD65 headphones. There are also several different à la carte setup options available, including:

• Tablet only
• Tablet and keyboard
• Fully enclosed and secured floor-length stand offered in black or white
• Optional Sanitation Station

The field setup you choose for your screening tablet will largely depend on how you intend to use it. Pricing varies for each setup option, though they all include the Windows Surface Go tablet, DD65 headphone transducers, and a USB drive with the Kiosk's software.

Software

The Kiosk uses 2 different softwares. One is designed to run the screening tests, and the other is used to manage and analyze screening results. The Kiosk tablet software, used to conduct the screenings, comes on a USB drive with your tablet and headphones. The lead management and analysis software, Hearing BI, is purchased separately as a subscription for use within the practice.

Air Threshold Tests

We recognize that an effective hearing screener will have multiple testing options to optimize lead generation for individual providers. This is why we developed the Kiosk with 3 different air-conduction hearing tests. These testing options have simple on-screen navigation for a clear screening experience, which reduces inaccurate results.

The 3 screening tests you can choose from for your Kiosk are:

+/- Screening: a sliding scale that the customer can adjust to find their hearing threshold

Flat Screening: frequency presentation with a YES or NO response only

Auto Screening: frequency presentation at various dB levels until the patient has confirmed the threshold twice  

In the Kiosk's settings, you can change your test option at any time based on the screener’s performance. The screening tablet comes calibrated and each test takes less than 5 minutes to complete, making for a quick and easy patient experience.

Navigation

The Kiosk software’s navigation design is user-friendly and remarkably straightforward. As previously noted, the hearing test is a simple air conduction test—easy enough for patients to complete by following the prompts on Kiosk's screen.

The screening was designed for people to take without supervision or attendance by a hearing care provider, so it offers limited navigation options. This eliminates the possibility of patient confusion or the need for technical assistance. MedRx also provides a 1-minute patient-focused tutorial video at the start of the screening to help orient the patient with the upcoming screening task.

Development engineers also included a looping interface and timeout options to ensure every new patient starts on a fresh screen.

Branding

We understand the importance of branding and use this to your advantage in several Kiosk elements.

Every setup has been developed with a method for including your practice's logo so you can achieve consistency across your marketing channels. Logo placement will also increase your brand awareness throughout your community, even if people don't decide to take a hearing test.

The 1-minute patient tutorial video is also customizable. You can record your own tutorial with location-specific instructions or based on your targeted demographics and upload it in the Kiosk's settings.

Viewing Results

Results from the Kiosk hearing screener were designed to be patient-facing and easy to understand.

It’s unlikely patients will understand how to read an audiogram result, so MedRx gives you the option to deliver results as an audiogram or displayed as a basic color-coded ear. The result options shown to the patient are Normal (green), Mild (yellow), Moderate (orange), and Refer (red). The email also contains your office's name and contact information so the patient can reach out to you about their screening results. 

PATIENT RESULTS EMAIL SCREEN

You can also opt in to receive email notifications when someone has completed a hearing screening. When you opt in, you will see the patient's audiogram, screening results, and contact information immediately following their completion of the test. This allows you to contact the person to schedule an appointment for a complete diagnostic test or ask if they want to schedule an annual exam. 

PROVIDER EMAIL WITH PATIENT AUDIOGRAM AND QUESTIONAIRE RESULTS

Security

The MedRx Kiosk’s software design ensures complete confidentiality and security of your patients’ personal information. Connections to our database are always secured and encrypted when not in use. Secure logins with audit logs will even help you track who has accessed your account and exactly what was performed while the person was in the account.

And for peace of mind on every front, the MedRx Kiosk hearing screener and the Hearing BI cloud database meet and exceed all HIPAA, GDPR, and HiTECH data requirements.

Cloud Connection

Kiosk works so effectively because you can see and respond to results in real-time. The hearing screener uses Wi-Fi to connect to Hearing BI, our cloud-based software, to organize, collect, and send test results to you immediately following a patient's completion of the screening.

However, the Kiosk can still be used without an internet connection. If Wi-Fi is interrupted, the software will store encrypted hearing screenings until the connection is restored and transmissions become successful.

How Can I Use the MedRx Kiosk?

There are numerous ways to use the MedRx hearing screener to your clinic's advantage. Placed in patient-accessible locations around your community, the unattended Kiosk can collect new patients and their contact information with minimal upkeep. The Kiosk’s self-service functionality even allows the busiest practices to gather new leads while managing day-today operations.

Consider your practice's goals for growth and which field setup will work best for your needs as you read through these location options.

1. Waiting Room Hearing Screener

The first and easiest way to use the MedRx hearing screener is in your waiting room. Spouses or children of your patient can use the Kiosk while they wait or if they're interested in scheduling a test themselves.

This method requires the least effort and monitoring. Task your patient care coordinators with mentioning the self-screener during patient check-ins or simply place it on your waiting room table with an inviting sign.

2. Contactless Screener

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that many things, including healthcare, don't always require face-to-face contact. For immunocompromised or health-conscious patients, you can offer the Kiosk as a contactless way to complete an initial hearing screening.

MEDRX KIOSK USED FOR CURBSIDE SCREENING

3. At-Home Screening

The Kiosk is a portable hearing screener, which means you can even deliver it to patients at home. You may want to do this if the patient cannot come in for a screening or is not in the locality of a Kiosk. You can even add a contact form on your website to make requesting a home screening more accessible.

Simply mail the tablet and transducers to your patient with instructions on turning on the tablet to complete the test. Your patient then only needs to send it back or drop it off at your office when completed.

4. Primary Care Office

Hearing health care is often overlooked as part of our physical wellbeing. While primary care physicians may not have time to screen every patient for hearing loss, you can offer to put your Kiosk in their offices.

Not only will you be reaching those in need of easy and accessible hearing screenings, but you can also help the physician provide another service in their own practice.

5. Other Physician's Offices

From optometrists to chiropractors and dentists, a Kiosk branded with your practice's name and information can help drive local traffic from other frequently visited offices. This can be a successful option because the contacts you gather from these locations generally keep up their physical health and probably live within range of your clinic.

6. Pharmacies

Pharmacies are an ideal location to place your Kiosk because the population frequenting pharmacies also frequently experience hearing loss.

Imagine your Kiosk used in a similar way to a blood pressure machine at the grocery or drugstore. Whether a patient is waiting in line at the pharmacy or simply browsing, your practice's Kiosk tablet can provide a much-needed hearing screening.

7. Residential Facilities

Residential facilities such as assisted living centers, nursing homes, independent living facilities, and even retirement communities can benefit from a hearing screening Kiosk.

Placed in a lobby or recreational room, your clinic's Kiosk could provide residents with necessary information about the current state of their hearing health.

8. Community Centers

Public community centers can offer your hearing screener substantial visibility. They are usually highly trafficked and have frequent senior-centered events.

Why Would an Office Want to Accommodate Your Kiosk?

As a business owner, you may be anticipating hesitancy from other offices to accept your Kiosk. This is entirely understandable. After all, what does the Kiosk have to offer other businesses?

It is your responsibility as a Kiosk owner to answer this question and demonstrate the value of your Kiosk. So, before you start asking offices if they'd like to host your Kiosk, you should understand the importance it has for both business parties.

Here are a few points you can mention to present the value of your Kiosk in another place of business: 

• “I can provide you with an additional service and more comprehensive care for your patients at no charge.”
• “You can help improve the population's hearing health and, in turn, positively influence healthy cognition.”
• “You can generate more in-person traffic from your relevant demographics.”
• “You can reduce inactivity in waiting rooms/lobbies/lines, which ultimately increases your customer/patient satisfaction.”

How Do I Distribute a Kiosk?

While purchasing a Kiosk from MedRx is simple, the task of presenting this concept to pharmacies or other offices can seem daunting. Now that you know what value your Kiosk has to other businesses, you can use these points to help you place it in the field. We can break this process down in just a few steps, so you can see how efficient it is for you and the other businesses:

1. Start by setting up your Kiosk, so you are ready to provide a demonstration to the business if asked.
2. Contact a decision-maker at the location to discuss features, benefits, and their potential interest.
3. When you have received a response, schedule a time to provide an in-person demonstration or installation.
4. Once the hearing screening tablet is set up, the Kiosk does not need to be monitored at the location. You can track leads and contact new patients remotely from the Hearing BI software.

If you manage more than 1 hearing screener, you can analyze the separate Kiosks in your Hearing BI software and see how they're performing individually. Then, make decisions about location placement and traffic as you gather more data. 

Hearing BI

To gather and manage leads, the MedRx Kiosk requires our proprietary cloud-based software called Hearing BI. A Hearing BI subscription allows you to view and manage the contacts and leads collected by your Kiosk on one consolidated platform. 

What Does the “BI” in Hearing BI Stand For?

“Hearing BI” stands for Hearing Business Intelligence. The Hearing BI software is a complete business intelligence solution for lead management, established for our screening Kiosk. 

While you want to attract new patients, you probably don't have the time to sort through the contacts, data, and metrics collected through your hearing screener by yourself. This is where HearingBI’s intelligent lead organization software steps in to streamline the acquisition process.

Can I Connect to Noah and Blueprint?

Yes! MedRx recognizes that the key to increasing your customer base when you’re already an established practice is proper system management, so we developed Noah and Blueprint OMS integration for Hearing BI.

These integration features allow you to take hearing screening leads from Hearing BI and export them to your management system, eliminating the need for an intermediary program. The management system integration only requires a one-time setup and gives you more freedom to alternate between programs with ease.

Even if you don’t have Noah or Blueprint, you can still export your contacts and leads to one place with the “Export to Excel” button on the lead or contact pages.

Is It Easy to Use?

Navigating the Hearing BI software is straightforward and provides your office with the flexibility and organization it needs to grow and retain lifelong customers. Meanwhile, the interface is clean, modern, and succinct—only providing you with the most important information, selected and customized by you. 

How Do I Know the Kiosk Is Working?

You can view detailed performance analytics for your Kiosks in Hearing BI. Whether you have one office location and a single tablet or an entire network of offices and several dozen screeners, the Hearing BI software can manage it all with customizable analytics dashboards.

For those of you looking to see exponential growth, Hearing BI allows you to sort kiosks by region and store, offering you a comprehensive lead collection service for your franchise or clinic network.

However, Kiosk’s performance analytics are equally effective for those who own a single private practice or are even just getting started. You can view statistics for individual contacts, keep track of follow-ups, and record contact made with every screening result received.

HEARING BI DASHBOARD

How Do I Follow-Up with Patients?

The most essential part of collecting leads is following up with them.

Hearing BI notifies you immediately after a patient takes your hearing screening so you can follow up with them directly after the test. Depending on the patient’s audiogram results, you can make recommendations for scheduling a complete diagnostic appointment or an annual exam.

Hearing BI purposefully tags each person taking a screening test as a contact or lead, allowing you to distinguish between those with a hearing loss (lead) and those without (contact). While leads are probably more likely to make a hearing aid purchase, increasing your number of contacts is a great way to grow your audience.

You can do this when you:

• Add them to your email marketing lists
• Schedule them for annual hearing tests
• Send mailers
• Accumulate referrals from contacts

Within Hearing BI, you can also change which people belong to which group, giving you control and organization over all your new contacts.

Generate and Manage Leads for Your Hearing Care Clinic

Learning how to increase hearing aid sales or how to grow an audiology practice is easy with the MedRx Kiosk. With free online demos and lifetime product training, we make sure that you always feel confident about using our products. From your simplest questions to biggest ideas, our experienced trainers and technicians will be there every step of the way.

So, if you’re looking to increase profits, expand your practice, or simply help those still struggling with the effects of hearing loss, the MedRx Kiosk offers you an innovative approach to lead generation.

Give our office a call at (727)584-9600 or toll free at (888)392-1234 for pricing information or to purchase a MedRx Kiosk. International clinicians may call +49 30 70 71 46 50 for more information.

Sources:

World report on hearing. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO