How to use digital signage effectively in hospitals

Healthcare establishments (hospitals, medical/dental practices, clinics) are complex environments that require simple communication tools. The potential of digital signage in these environments is immense, from signage to entertainment and patient information. Beyond its role in assisting patients, digital signage can also support medical staff, providing anticipated answers to patients' questions and improving internal communications.

Thanks to a digital signage content management system (CMS), screen programming is centralized and simple. Content broadcasts can be automated and managed remotely, providing varied, up-to-date content.

Here are some relevant and effective use cases for digital signage in the healthcare sector.

Prevention and information messages

Use digital signage in the healthcare sector to educate and inform patients with information on preventive measures or health, with advice on how to deal with common pathologies or childhood illnesses, on good medication practices or hygiene rules. You don't have to create this content yourself: videos and content are available from government websites and YouTube channels, from charities and from your suppliers.

Third-party content, as well as your own, can add variety to your digital signage in medical environments. Waiting is part of the patient journey, and seeing the same content played over and over again can be frustrating, especially if they have to watch the screen to find out when their name will be called. Tailor content to your facility's surgical specialties, such as pediatric or back surgery.

Virtual secretarial services via hospital screens

Anticipate potential questions from patients and use digital signage to broadcast essential information about your clinic: extended opening hours, surgical specialties, nearby pharmacies open 24 hours a day, etc. If you're digitizing parts of your service website, you can communicate this through your digital signage.

Inform your patients about the online appointment procedure and explain how they can access the digital version of their medical record.

To diversify your content, you can also add feeds featuring information from external sources (local weather forecasts, news). Does your establishment have a service restaurant? Display the menu and special offers. You can also broadcast more user-friendly information, such as donations collected by the team, or celebrations to mark the end of an important project or milestone event for the clinic.

Internal communication with your medical teams

Digital signage not only helps to communicate with patients, but also to establish better team communication. A screen displaying important, automatically-updated information (e.g. hospital admission lists) can keep medical staff informed in real time, and can simplify the dissemination of information in an intense, stressful environment.

Regular updates on the situation to help patients wait with greater peace of mind

Once admitted to the waiting room, but before being called by the doctor, a patient may feel nervous thinking about the impact of this wait on the course of his or her day: will he or she arrive on time for work or the nanny's? Has he put enough money in the parking meter? You can use digital signage to reassure patients, meet their expectations and turn waiting time into useful time. You can use the screens to inform patients that the consultation with the doctor will take place at the scheduled time, or that there will be a delay, or to display the patient's place in the appointment list. Using a fleet of screens lets you assign a screen to each doctor or dentist outside the practice. With a single screen, you can set up a rotation to broadcast information about each doctor one after the other.

Welcoming patients to the hospital

Hospitals, clinics and large medical homes can be intimidating, as patients only go there when they're worried about their health or that of the person they're visiting. Clear signage can help reduce patient stress and ensure that appointments run smoothly. Digital signage solutions for the healthcare sector can help patients find their way around, with screens that greet them the first time they arrive at the facility, remind them to use hand sanitizer, and display a map or arrowed signage to point them in the right direction. You can place displays at any strategic point (where the patient will have to make a choice to find their way around) and at the reception desk of every clinic. If your signage is out-of-date, there's no need to print new panels: screens can be easily updated immediately.

But also entertainment!

Sometimes it's hard to find content that appeals to everyone. You need to consider the tone and relevance of your content, but feel free to include animations, quizzes, music videos or even recipe tutorials in your content program to alleviate patient boredom and stress.

For more information on using digital signage to improve communication in medical practices, read our article ondigital signage in the waiting room and contact us to find out more about our solution digital signage system.

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