Organisations are thriving in a technology rich environment with many hospitals around the globe relying on the latest technology to deliver quality care to patients and staff, and providing around-the-clock support. Introducing digital signage and IPTV to enhance a patient’s experience in hospital can provide greater patient care and overall satisfaction during their stay.
Improving patient experience
Hospitals are not a place for fun and leisure, however ensuring a connection to the outside world can help patients maintain a level of normality and calm. Whether a day or a long-term patient, much of time spent in hospital is for recovery and rest, and in such an environment, patients look for information and entertainment to make their hospital stay more comfortable and engaging.
Patient waiting room technology can be a benefit to hospitals as it can be a way of keeping patients informed of their upcoming appointments and can help reduce patient stress during busy wait periods. As David Maister, Harvard Business School professor and expert on professional service states, “Keeping patients informed can improve the overall healthcare experience. Unexplained waits feel longer than explained waits.”1
From waiting rooms to cafeterias, every room in a hospital is an opportunity to provide information to staff and patients, and digital signage can be a valuable asset to introduce into hospitals. It can provide essential information such as updated waiting times to patients in A&E, listing the daily lunch menu via digital menu boards in the cafeteria or displaying emergency messaging through directional signage in the event of a fire. There are many benefits to using dynamic digital signage and it can be extremely resourceful and cost-effective, compared to static poster displays which can become out of date quickly, and can be time-consuming to distribute. Digital signage is a more streamlined and eye-catching communications method, giving the end user more immediate control over messaging and branding, while reducing printing costs.
Streamlining visitor experience and generating return on investment
Hospitals are often put under extreme financial pressure, however now with digital signage in areas such as cafeterias and shops, hospitals can plan for a solid return-on-investment with a few simple clicks to change content. Advertising the lunchtime special in a hospital, or using digital menu boards to promote discounts and offers in the gift shop allows hospitals to monetise their investment in digital signage technology. Effective digital signage can, in a small way, help reduce financial pressures many hospitals face.
Hospitals can be intimidating places, and with long corridors, confusing signs and not-so-easy to navigate maps, visitors can easily get lost. Deploying wayfinding information on digital signage displays or interactive touchscreen panels can help to alleviate the stress and hardship that many visitors face when navigating around a hospital.
Bedside TV: Keeping patients informed
Patients are given so much information, often verbally, throughout their stay that details can become confusing or forgotten leading to poorer communication between staff and patients which could potentially impact on the quality of care given. In particular healthcare settings, such as senior living communities and rehabilitation centres, patients can be given clear instructions with technology solutions such as the Tripleplay Interactive IPTV Portal where they can receive regular updates on medication and treatment guidelines, and watch rehabilitation and physiotherapy videos. As well as this, patients can access Video on Demand (VOD) content or live TV giving them more flexibility as to when they view content and better streamlined communications.
Patients can also use the portal to view daily food menus, to be informed of visiting relatives and of upcoming meetings and appointments. The Tripleplay Interactive IPTV Portal can provide helpful information to patients from the comfort of their room or bed meaning not only are patients more informed, they have access to the information they need in one single, easy-to-navigate place.
Whether patients need to watch an exercise video or view medical information, the Interactive IPTV Portal can be utilised to make day-to-day lives much easier.
Updating staff communications
As well as digital signage, healthcare organisations can use IPTV to deliver training and teaching for medical staff. Through IPTV and video streaming, training content can be live streamed securely to TV’s, laptops and mobile devices for staff to watch at a convenient time. With medical staff holding extremely busy schedules, finding the time to watch the latest training videos can often be difficult, but with a digital media platform staff can watch content when it suits them via any available compatible device.
Ensuring top priority patient care
In a digitally enhanced environment, hospitals can ensure patient care is the top priority and one of the many ways to do this is by combining the power of digital signage and IPTV. Patients want to know they are being well looked after and with helpful digital tools, this can now be driven by one central content management system.
By introducing a media platform, such as Tripleplay, to provide digital communication tools to make patients feel at ease, hospital communications can be streamlined and simplified, increasing satisfaction rates, enhancing patient care and delivering a greater return on investment.
References
1https://davidmaister.com/articles/the-psychology-of-waiting-lines/
