I decided to study patient’s activity in the waiting room. Any waiting room can be a potential information ground if we minimize obstacles that stop people from exchanging information while waiting. As my project topic is “KIOSK top level interface”, I thought it will be helpful for me to study patient activities in the waiting room. What they generally do during the waiting time? Do they like to wait or not? Do they know how to interact with KIOSK interface?

I have observed 7 patients at the waiting room. I found that most of them are old and they look very tired. Only two patients knew English from 7. Other two patients were speaking Spanish. Patients coming to the clinic already have appointment with doctor. Often the receptionist starts conversations when people come up to check in or ask the receptionist questions about their appointment or their care. There was light music in the waiting room which makes the waiting room a bit live.

As per my observation patients in the waiting room are suffering form some disease so they are not interested in doing any activity. Their eye sight were weak, they even cannot stand for long time or cannot walk more. While I was at waiting room I didn’t find any patient who has read magazine which was available on the table. They just seat ideal and wait for their turn. They just relax at the waiting room. They didn’t want to give any load to their senses. Patients sometime talk with each other but that is very rare. I think because they speak different languages so it’s not possible for them to communicate with each other. Some people talk with receptionist during waiting time and some are trying to flirt with her. It is obvious that if people come to see the doctor then they are sick and in most of case sick people feels lazy and they don’t want to do anything.

I tried to make general conversation with some patients. I started with saying “hi” and try to find some information about their waiting room experience. I talk with four patients. My first attempt was gentle man. I try to talk with him but he was Spanish and doesn’t understand English so I was not able to communicate with him. Whenever I try to ask something, he just says “I don’t know”. He was like bit disturbed and he doesn’t want to say anything. Then I try to communicate with one lady. She speaks little English. She says that she doesn’t know how to use computer because she is not good at English. She also told me that she cannot see properly, her eyes were weak. After that I talk with another lady, She was pretty good at English. She just seat and wait. She says that nobody like to seat and wait. She doesn’t know how to use computer. She had never used kiosk.

Conclusion:
Clinic has Patients with who speaks different languages so if we develop software in 1-2 language then most of the patients will not be able to understand it. Kiosk should be attractive so patients attracts to use it otherwise most of the patients are old and they really don’t want to do anything. There should be something that attracts patients towards KIOSK and make them standup from their seats and attract them to use KIOSK. Patients like the music in the waiting room.