ATLANTA, Jan. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent survey conducted by Digital Assent, a healthcare media and marketing company headquartered in Atlanta, patient acceptance of using a tablet computer at the doctor's office is very high.  A resounding 94 percent of patients reported that they enjoyed using Digital Assent's PatientPad® tablet computer during their office visit and 84 percent of respondents reported that checking in on the PatientPad was "better than a clipboard." 

Patients also found the experience noteworthy, with one third of respondents reporting that they discussed their PatientPad experience with family and friends after leaving the doctor's office.  The internally-conducted survey included responses from 85 patients who used the company's PatientPad tablet solution to check-in for their appointment.  The respondents spanned 11 medical practices, and the responding patients represented a 17 percent response rate for the survey. 

Digital Assent CEO Andrew Ibbotson commented, "Consumer self-service options have been growing rapidly in other areas of life, so the positive feedback from PatientPad users in this survey is not surprising.  Patients of all ages are coming to expect the privacy and convenience of self-service tablet technology, like the PatientPad, when they visit their healthcare provider." 

Once the check-in process is complete, the PatientPad also provides patients with an opportunity to explore educational content and product advertisements specifically tailored to the medical office that they're visiting.  Digital Assent's survey was presented to patients between 24 and 72 hours after they used the PatientPad.  

In addition to patient acceptance of the technology, the survey measured the effectiveness of advertising delivered to patients on the PatientPad tablet while waiting to see their healthcare provider.  When asked about specific advertising content that was presented to them, survey responders revealed:

• Thirty (30) percent of respondents reported taking action as a direct result of advertising they saw on the PatientPad
• Twenty-two (22) percent had unaided recall of branded content presented to them on the PatientPad
• Sixty-one (61) percent correctly recognized and identified branded content presented to them on the PatientPad

"From its conception, PatientPad seemed like it could realize every marketer's dream of consistently engaging the right person, with the right message, in the right location, at the right time," stated Whit Lanier, Digital Assent's vice president of marketing and advertising operations.  Lanier continued, "These survey results are even better than we expected, and provide a strong argument that the PatientPad might be the perfect vehicle for healthcare consumer marketing." 

Since concluding the survey, PatientPad has made software and hardware enhancements which have further increased overall levels of patient satisfaction and patient engagement.  PatientPad also continues to add new applications which deliver measurable value to the patient and the practice, including real-time healthcare financing and redeemable point-of-service coupons. 

About Digital Assent

Digital Assent is a fast-growing healthcare media and marketing company that helps patients make more educated and informed decisions at the point of care. The company's award-winning PatientPad® technology is transforming the patient experience at doctor's offices throughout the United States. Upon arrival, each patient is given their own PatientPad® tablet to check-in for their appointment. While they wait, patients hold on to the PatientPad® to explore relevant health information and learn more about the products and services offered by the practice. Digital Assent's rapidly growing PatientPad® Network now spans every major metropolitan market in the country. For more information about Digital Assent, please visit www.DigitalAssent.com.

SOURCE Digital Assent