Are you making the most of your digital signage? While “digital directories” in a healthcare setting are most often used to help people find their way, wayfinding is just one of several ways they can benefit patients, visitors and staff.
“One screen can serve many useful purposes in a hospital,” says Scot Martin, President and CEO of youRhere. “Sure, they’re extremely helpful in letting people know how to get to a certain destination within the hospital but that’s only a fraction of their potential.”
From raising money to promoting events, reducing stress to offsetting staffing pressures, there are ample ways digital signage can enrich a healthcare space.
Consider the following:
• Fundraising: When not being used as an interactive map, digital directories can beprogrammed to display a scrolling “playlist” of posters informing viewers on a variety of topics, including a hospital’s fundraising initiatives.
For example, says Martin, “Say your hospital has launched a capital campaign to fund a new cancer research department or encourage donations for the hospital foundation; you can use your sign’s screen to rotate through posters talking about those initiatives and providing info on how viewers can contribute.”
• Promoting healthy and safety: There are many steps that hospital guests and staff can take to maintain a clean, hygienic environment. And for its part, a digital directory’s screen can include messages that promote sanitary practices (e.g., hand washing, social distancing, etc.) or drive home important health and safety messages, such as the use of masks to mitigate ongoing pandemic risks.
“There are a lot of easy but important actions people can take to keep everyone safe. Sometimes, they just need a visual reminder,” adds Martin.
• A more welcoming space: Visiting a hospital can be stressful for patients and their visitors. Emotions are already running high the moment they step through the doors, and frustrations can mount if they feel lost or unable to access help. Here’s where a digital directory can help make hospital information more accessible by including directions in multiple languages and ensuring visual supports are accessible to everyone, including those in wheelchairs.
For example, says Martin, “One of the things that we frequently do in our installation is provide up-to-the-minute information on the local transit. For instance, our signs can show people when certain busses are due to arrive at the stops servicing the hospital, so they know exactly when to head to the bus stop instead of waiting around outside, particularly in inclement weather.”
• Champion sustainability: Sustainability is a healthcare priority; yet it’s not always top of mind in a medical facility. Here again, interactive and passive digital signage can display updates on a hospital’s sustainability missions, be they recycling programs, energy and water conservation practices, or environmental awareness campaigns.
Moreover, digital signs can display the real-time impacts and results of these actions, such as the amount of energy being saved, how much waste has been diverted from landfills, and other encouraging stats.
“It’s also about engaging visitors and guests to join with staff in those sustainability goals as well,” adds Martin. “You can have pre-programmed messages cycle through that screen reminding people to toss their soda cans in recycling or help the hospital preserve energy where they can.”
• Hospital team support: Staff shortages are a growing challenge in the Canadian healthcare sector. Digital signs can help alleviate workforce pressures by answering many frequently asked questions otherwise directed to short-staffed help desk teams or security personnel.
More than a map
There is plenty of potential in a digital sign. More than a valuable source for directions, today’s smart and connected solutions are being used to promote hospital programs, champion eco-forward practices, and relieve common stress points that may otherwise hurt the visitor experience.
Importantly, Martin adds, they can offer these benefits without breaking the bank, adding, With the option we provide to lease signs, there isn’t a big capital cost that needs to be absorbed up front. Facilities can pay for this extremely useful resource under their operating budget instead of having a large one-time capital outlay.”
“There’s a lot you can do on that screen,” he continues, “and by tapping into that full potential, digital signage becomes an investment that pays off in many ways.”
