Preface:

I remember a time when checking in into a domestic flight involved people looking at your plane tickets, checking ID, baggage etc

Now has been automated away by self-service kiosks, and for those who have not experienced it yet, here are some probably relevant snippets:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443545504577567501420272414.html

http://www.futuretravelexperience.com/2011/06/could-automatic-check-in-herald-the-end-of-the-boarding-pass/#

Proposal and RFC:

How about applying the concept of self-service kiosks to the field of medicine (specially regular checkups or routine followups)?

My typical experience at a medical provider is this:

1. I identify myself and the assistant at the reception looks up my appointment

2. I am then assisted to a waiting area where a nurse takes my blood pressure, weight, height etc (things that I am perfectly capable of doing myself given the appropriate instruments)

3. After an significant amount of time waiting etc I get to see my doctor. A doctor meeting is only needed if I have something of concern. If this was a regular checkup or routine followup a doctor would not even be necessary and my blood, stool and/or urine would be taken, as was scheduled by the doctor. Most of this I already have to do myself anyways after being directed by the nurse.

Instead of having assistants and nurses in the loop, why not introduce self-service kiosks instead and make the whole system more efficient?

I am not asking to replace the whole system with self-service kiosks, but atleast reduce this part of inefficiency (I am sure there are far more patterns if we looked closely enough but my appointments don't last more than an hour)

Has anyone attacked this problem before?

Is this a valid before worth solving?

How should I go about validating this idea and signing up customers?