Last week I took my friend, Lisa, to the eye doctor. This is the Scheie Eye Institute, a very prestigious hospital dedicated to eye care.
We’ve been there many times over the last five years. Our last visit was six months ago and now we were back for a follow-up visit. But something was new.
When we arrived at the Institute, as usual, we went to the front desk. In the past, the front desk checked you in and then you waited to go to an attendant at a numbered station to confirm your insurance, appointment time and any other preliminary questions.
As we approached the front desk on this day, we were told to immediately go over to the standing computer terminals and check ourselves in.
Now the average age of the patients in this rather expansive waiting room seemed to be about 79 years old. I have no doubt that the senior community has many computer savvy members, but not everyone can adjust to any computer that is thrown in front of them. As one who continues to discover that ‘user friendly’ and ‘intuitive’ are really just adjectives for “get me a 12 year-old over here, stat!”, I was certain that many of these patients were struggling with this new set-up.
Add to that,these computers were at standing stations. I would say at least in an unscientific review of the crowd…. and by that I mean looking at them, half of the patients were in wheelchairs or using canes or walkers. Standing at a computer terminal would be, at the very least, uncomfortable, at most, impossible.
One more thing.
You may recall this is the Scheie Eye Institute. So……this is a place where people go who are having trouble seeing. You know, eye patches, eye surgery, eye pain, eye problems.
Based on my knowledge of the scientific method, which I learned from my kids when they had to study fourth grade science, this new system may experience a few glitches.
I will say this, Lisa and I were laughing hysterically for hours, even on the way home when we just kept saying but it’s the Scheie Eye Institute!
That’s all it took to make us giggle, ’cause………….
“You Just Have to Laugh…….”
©2016 Cathy Sikorski
That doesn’t sound very accommodating to patients. I hope the receptionists have a Plan B.
Don’t worry, Karen, we are enlightening them!
Oh, it’s definitely funny, but it’s also – uhm – ridiculous? Are these people not considering who they’re serving there? Duh. Common sense has gone out the window, hasn’t it? I’m glad you got a fun post out of it, though!
See (no pun intended) this is the thing. I’m pretty sure the brilliant IT person or whoever came up with this NEVER SAT IN THE WAITING ROOM! Just sayin’.
I can hear the presentation that the self check-in will save time and money for the company while of course not considering is this right for this demographic group!
Exactly….and everyone around the boardroom table nodding their heads in agreement…and probably one person thinking, “Gee, maybe we should go look at what goes on down there?”. Ugh.
That is hilarious! You always find the funny side, Cathy. Love you for it!
Thanks Helene….love you to bits!
Cathy, I hope you’re going to send this piece to the Scheie Eye Institute, then bill them for a consult. I’m sure this “enhancement” was thought up by a 30 year old with 20/20 vision who can stand in 2 inch heels for hours, and who was using a computer at the age of three…
I’m drafting my consult with fee now….I should send you a cut…if I get one, you’ll get one! And yes, I couldn’t agree more about the design consult!
Un. Be. Lievable. But then again, nothing surprises me when it comes to how big organizations look at the customers, no pun intended. Or don’t look at them. They need an eye doctor!
Yes…look and you shall see might have been better than seek and you shall find in this case! Thanks for your comments, always love them, Carol!
WTF?
Best comment ever, Suzanne!
Oh that made me laugh… hilarious. .
Thanks, Roberta….we always try to look at what’s entertaining us that day and sometimes it just magically appears!