Rx: 5 ways digital signage makes health care more efficient

By Luc Bormans, head of sales and marketing, Netpresenter

Health care and digital signage are a natural fit. On a daily basis, health care facilities get overrun with hundreds or sometimes even thousands of people. To keep everything running smoothly, efficiency is key. Digital signage allows health care facilities to communicate important information in real-time to employees, patients and visitors, streamlining their day-to-day activities.

Today digital signage screens are popping up in every corner of large and small medical buildings. Here are five of the most popular ways digital signage is being used in health care:

1. To instantly provide facility employees with important information

Medical facilities are among the most dynamic of workplaces. This makes it challenging to keep staff updated on internal news. Sometimes there is just no time for medical personnel to read emails or even engage in a conversation with co-workers. Digital signage is an ideal way to inform staff members about meetings, events, construction, maintenance and even room schedules, as even a quick glance at a digital signage screen keeps everyone in the loop.

2. To help patients and visitors find their way around

For visitors and patients a hospital can be a real maze. It doesn't come as a surprise that one of the most important uses for digital signs in health care is in helping people find their way. While outpatients may need some assistance finding radiology, visitors may not know how to get to their loved one's room. Directional signage screens can help patients and visitors find where they need to go quickly and easily, making hospital visits and stays less stressful.

3. To immediately alert everyone in case of an emergency

Sometimes the sound of an alarm bell just doesn't suffice — especially in hospitals, where some staff members are harder to reach. Just think about personnel in operating rooms or laboratories. Additionally, it might not be such a good idea to cause panic in a building that holds thousands of people by setting off a blaring alarm. Highly visible digital signage alerts with simple instructions make sure everyone heads to the nearest exit without causing a stampede.

4. To effectively communicate compliance rules

While occasional compliance training is proven to be helpful, medical staff might not always remember what was said months or even years ago. Employees can be kept on their toes by repetitively communicating compliance rules and regulations with the help of strategically placed digital signage screens throughout the facility.

5. To make waiting less boring

Waiting rooms are not enjoyable places, period. Especially those that don't allow the use of mobile phones. Digital signage screens can be set up to provide patients who are waiting with interesting content, such as weather reports, news feeds or general health care tips. Unfortunately, this does not make the wait time shorter, but definitely makes the whole hospital experience a lot more enjoyable.

Bormans is head of sales and marketing for Netpresenter, which provides an enterprise-class software platform for integrated communications and mass notifications. Headquartered in The Netherlands with offices in the U.K., Germany and the U.S., Its multichannel solutions are designed to let companies and organizations manage emergency alerts and improve their internal communications, building employee engagement and helping save lives. At the touch of a button, Netpresenter users can reach thousands, even millions, of employees or customers with visual information on digital signage screens, corporate screensavers, desktop alerts, tablets and smartphones.