Whether you’re a doctor, nurse, general staff member, patient, or a visitor, the thought of being within any healthcare facility can be daunting. With all the confusion found in patients and their friends/family walking the halls, one of the biggest challenges hospitals are facing is how to improve the design of physical environments to easily communicate with visitors and provide them with easy to follow directions and imperative information. The quality of healthcare is most often the direct result of talented doctors and cutting-edge medical technology. Additionally, facility design will often contribute to the overall experience a patient and their visitors will have. In the past, room decoration improved visitor experience in a non-interactive way via color, lighting, interior design and furniture. The evolution of touch screen technology, however, is paving the way for fully interactive facilities. And, emerging from this concept are interactive digital signage solutions that have been developed specifically for the healthcare industry.
A Custom, Healthcare Solution
Unlike off-the-shelf products, professional, interactive healthcare touch-screen smart displays are specially designed for the hospital environment, with features that support ADA compliance (an antimicrobial surface) and public safety. In an environment that has no shortage of germs and bacteria, but still needs to remain sterile, digital signage with special surface treatment can prevent nosocomial infections. Other features include being child, patient and wheelchair friendly. The interactive healthcare digital signage can be installed in different areas in the facility to educate, support and delight the public effectively as a hospitality desk in lobbies, interactive wayfinding map near elevators or an education center.
Convey the messages that matter most right from the start
Hospital designs have taken inspiration from hotels and hospitality to create an exceptional patient experience. An interactive display in the hospital lobby not only provides hotel-like, innovative support, but can also convey a hospital’s culture and important messaging. They makes it easy for visitors to review facility news, updates and changes, emergency alerts, weather reports, promotions or even traffic information around the hospital. And, in providing real-time, up-to-date information, they help a hospital break down communication barriers between facility, staff and visitors.
Helping Patients and Visitors Find Their Way
Some modern hospital design divide hospital into two, three, four or more buildings, which obviously doesn’t make finding directions easy for patients and visitors. The interactive Wayfinding system provides interactive directions that can help ease the tension of getting lost on a large campus or in a hospital building and can also provide visitors a sense of calm, safety and security.
Promote healthy habits and environments
In the last few decades, non-interactive video has been the main channel to provide public health education. Interactive healthcare digital signage can easily turn a family room or a waiting room into an education center. Instead of one-way video playing, health education can now be interactive with software embedded with mini games or quizzes. The interactive program helps support the front-line staff to increase the quality of their public health education, while easing any negative or nervous feelings. The time hospital guests will spend waiting in lobbies will now flow more smoothly and efficiently thanks to the emergence of interactive digital signage technology. This technology is proving to be a very effective way to connect people and provide them with all of the information they need when working in or visiting a healthcare facility.
