By Kimberly Bonvissutto / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

Cloud-based visitor management solutions can provide what founders like to call the next-generation visitor sign-in sheet.

Visitor management is a challenge for healthcare facilities seeking to balance security and a welcoming environment. Using a visitor management kiosk, visitors can check themselves in, print badges, receive text message updates about meetings and WiFi codes, and receive emergency notifications.

Security

With a digital visitor log, a facility manager or security know who is in the building – and where. The kiosks collect visitor data, including cell phone numbers. Gregory Blondeau, Proxyclick founder and managing director, said this data can be used to check if a visitor is on a blacklist (and, therefore, denied entry), to view a list of visitors on site – either on a smartphone or desktop – and the ability to call or text messages to all visitors in case of an emergency.

Hosts can also establish visitor agreements – including non-disclosure agreements, or health and safety instructions – upon check in.

Screening

Kiosks can customize the questions visitors answer, such as whether or not someone is experiencing flulike symptoms. Owners can potentially limit the spread of infections by preventing access to a building, wing or room.

The kiosk app also includes a feature that can confirm the identity of a guest by scanning their identification card using a face-matching algorithm. This feature provides an additional layer of security by confirming a visitor’s identity before entry.

Notifications

In case of emergency, a cloud-based system can send a text message to all visitors in a building through the phone number retrieved for the kiosk. The receptionist can keep an emergency list of all visitors still in the building and mark them as verified at checkout.

When a visitor checks in, his/her mobile phone number is sent to the host in a text message, allowing direct contact with the visitor.