Enhancing Patient Engagement Through Digital Signage in Healthcare Settings

With the landscape of healthcare evolving almost on a monthly basis, keeping up patient engagement is one of the most important factors in making sure that institutions can deliver high quality care experiences. One element of an overall positive approach is the strategic use of digital signage. By integrating the best digital signage and displays throughout a facility, a much more informative, efficient and engaging environment can be created for staff and patients alike. Let’s take a look at some of the key areas in which digital signage can make a positive impact on patient engagement in a healthcare setting.

• Streamlining Patient Queues

One of the most significant challenges in healthcare facilities is the management of patient queues. Digital signage can be used to alleviate a lot of the frustration and anxiety that can arise by lack of information, by showcasing things like real time updates, queue statues and estimated waiting times. Having this information readily visible for all will reduce the number of questions and potential conflict that staff and receptionists have to deal with at busy times.

• Waiting Room Entertainment

It would be fair to say that the traditional waiting room experience can be one of great boredom and tedium, especially for children and their guardians! The implementation of digital signage can work to transform this by providing a mixture of entertainment and educational content to keep young and old occupied while they wait for treatment. The more engaged a person is, the shorter their wait time is going to feel.

• Digital Directories And Wayfinding

Depending on the size of the healthcare facility in question, navigating around the building can be confusing and daunting for people, especially if they already have a degree of health anxiety, illness or injury. The integration of digital wayfinders and directories can be invaluable in helping visitors to find their way around the facility with as little stress as possible. Going as far as touchscreens and interactive kiosks for the largest facilities is something that should be considered. It’s a sure-fire way to increase patient satisfaction.

• Brand Enhancement

Digital signage can be seen as an effective way to enhance the ‘brand’ of a healthcare facility. Though not operating in the same way as a store, for example, there is still a degree of trust, confidence and reputation that needs to be established between patients and a healthcare service. This can be done using digital signage to highlight the qualifications and expertise of the professionals in place, and patients getting to know their doctors in this way helps to humanize the experience.

• Patient Communication

Efficient and effective communication between staff and patients is absolutely crucial in healthcare, and digital signage can do a lot to facilitate this. From indirect communications like health tips and reminders on screens, to more direct communications like patient alerts and appointment room numbers, all of these electronic messages can help to reduce the burden on staff and help them to focus on their most important work.

• Cafeteria Menu Boards

Food and drink might not be the first thing that you think about when considering a healthcare facility, but depending on how long a person’s visit is, it can be vital! Hospitals and larger healthcare facilities will have busy eating areas with regularly changing food options, so having digital displays that provide the most up to date and extensive menu information doesn’t only make the customer experience better, but also saves a lot of time and effort on behalf of the staff. Real time updates to highlight sold out/unavailable items makes the ordering process much simpler and more streamlined.