Visiting your healthcare provider shouldn’t be an anxiety-inducing affair, but hectic urgent care and emergency facilities, sprawling campuses and long waits can combine to form a harrowing experience for patients. For those who are not anxious, time spent in a dull waiting room is a boring hassle. Relieving the associated stress from boredom and anxiety is a huge challenge for those in the healthcare industry – one that requires a fresh and innovative approach.

ENTER DIGITAL SIGNAGE.

The introduction of new technology is taking digital signage solutions for the healthcare industry to new heights, allowing healthcare providers to relieve anxiety, reduce boredom and connect with patients in more meaningful ways.

Keep patients and their families from getting lost with easy-to-find directional kiosks can also showcase easily updatable, interactive maps which simplify the navigation of large campuses, or even provide temporary, location-specific information regarding current onsite events. These digital signage kiosks can also present rotating informational displays to provide staff and patients with frequent and campus-specific service updates, breaking news or even the menu of today’s cafeteria items.

Some healthcare facilities have also begun installing interactive digital signage displays in waiting rooms and urgent care facilities. These solutions are not just intended to inform, although many provide helpful health-related information. Some are also interactive tools, designed to streamline the registration process. For anxious patients, you can also include information such as doctor profiles, tips on how to prepare for appointments, preventative care advice and even motivational videos or advice, all geared to relieving concerns and building patient confidence in your facility.

Digital signage displays in the waiting room can also help decrease perceived wait times and boredom by providing a focal point and source of entertainment for patients. Some digital signage options can even include short clips of popular television programs, such as a healthy cooking show or medical talk show. Many digital systems also integrate with patient queuing, so clients who are waiting to be seen can actively monitor their wait time and progress.

Through the use of touchscreen technology, patients are empowered to complete their own check-in and registration. This not only provides the patients with a greater sense of privacy than the standard clipboard-and-pen intake process; it also has been shown to increase patient approval ratings. For healthcare providers, it reduces paper waste, decreases entry errors and allows staff members to focus on patient care.