Waiting room kiosk computer

From: "s_clemen" <scottclemensen@onebox.com>
Sender: Practiceimprovement1@yahoogroups.com
Mailing-List: list Practiceimprovement1@yahoogroups.com; contact Practiceimprovement1-owner@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 02:08:03 -0000
Subject: [Practiceimprovement1] Re: instant medical history use
Reply-To: Practiceimprovement1@yahoogroups.com

Larry,
I took a $50 particleboard computer desk from Big Lots and modified
it to be about 2 feet wide. I put in a plexiglass window in the
hutch and mounted an old Gateway 300 Pentium II laptop in a drawer
under the table with the screen coming up through a slot in the
table. The cords, ports and body of the laptop are inaccessable and
the screen is protected behind the plexiglass. The laptop has a
wireless card and USB powered keyboard and mouse that sit on top of
the table. I figured it was easier to replace a mouse and keyboard
than the computer if a diet coke somehow was spilled on it! I
simply created a desktop background with my practice logo and
explorer shortcuts to the specific functions I have reserved for the
kiosk: to schedule an appointment, To complete the check in survey,
and to make an online copayment- (via Paypal). Since all of the
services are available from my website, the kiosk computer doesn't
need anything special for hardware, just internet access. So far,
it has worked great, and I had fun building it!
It was at least 6 months since I tried IMH. I finally decided it
was just too complicated and a little impersonal for what I wanted
in my practice. Scott