Like other organizations, healthcare providers has to continuously improve. One of the most important elements to target is the overall patient experience. Many aspects influence how patients experience their hospital stay. Many of Folcrom’s partners are delivering solutions that help improve the patient experience.
Patients want to be in control of their own health journey. Interactive services at the point of care (at the end of one of our arms!) will empower them and make them feel more confident during an uncomfortable time. Innovative healthcare solutions not only provide patients entertainment but also communication, education and feedback facilities as well. Implementing technology could be of the biggest steps a hospital can take to increase patient satisfaction, communication and patient education towards improving the overall patient experience.
Lets look at the four features of healthcare devices that help improve patient experience.
Entertainment to Improve Patient Experience
Patient satisfaction has never been more important to healthcare institutions. A satisfied patient is a happy patient. And a happy patient will hopefully recover quicker. Distracting patients from the fact that they are in hospital and uncomfortable, will only help the level of satisfaction.
Today we are all used to having a wide variety of modern communication equipment at arms length. We are permanently stuck to our smartphone and tablet. And stay in constant contact with our friends and family. Going without this during a hospital stay will only make us more aware of the fact that we are not at home. It can even make patients feel alone and removed from everything and everyone they know.
A quality patient entertainment system will keep patients busy, entertained and connected to home. Modern systems offer TV, Video-on-Demand, games, radio and Internet. Patients can stay social through apps like Facebook and Twitter, right on the screen. Or even listen to music through their Spotify account. App based patient entertainment solutions make the possibilities endless. Keeping patients distracted will improve patient experience during their stay.
Communication to Improve Patient Experience
Today’s means of communication make entertainment and communication kind of overlap. Social media and email ensure quick contact with friends and family. Making a patient feel more secure. However, healthcare devices offer more ways to stay in contact. These systems often offer an integrated telephone service. Giving patients without cell phones the option to call home as well.
Video chat will make the communication even more real life. Seeing the people they trust and love can only improve the patient’s well being. These advanced communication methods not only benefits patients but hospital staff as well. Integrating the healthcare devices with the hospital’s information system will give staff the latest information for each patient.
Empowerment to Improve Patient Experience
One of the biggest downsides of being in hospital is the feeling of not being in control. You are in an unknown environment, with unfamiliar people around you. Often you’re not sure what’s going on with your health and don’t know what will happen. These feelings can quickly put a patient down. Making an uncomfortable situation even more uncomfortable. At the end of the day this will not benefit a speedy recovery.
Taking away these overpowering feelings can be critical for the patient’s health and recovery. Providing a clear care plan ensures patients will be better informed of their illness and treatment. Knowing what will happen will take a way a great deal of the insecurity. Services such as meal ordering, pain management, room control, and real-time satisfaction surveys will affect the hospital stay even more.
Healthcare devices enable managing and controlling all these features right from the bedside.
Education to Improve Patient Experience
Providing better health literacy has a proven positive impact on patient health outcomes. Healthcare devices can provide information about health conditions, care plans, and pre- and post discharge instructions. As well as hospital to home connectivity helping patients achieve a faster recovery.
Educated patients will feel more confident, knowing what is going on with their health. Using the healthcare device, patients can watch videos specific to their condition and treatment. They can read instructions on their prescribed medication. Or can watch videos of the physical therapy exercises they have to do.
Connecting the healthcare devices to the EHR system will deliver specific information to the patients. Only showing them what applies to them. An educated patient will feel more comfortable making informed choices about their treatment. And may even better understand the necessary changes they need to make to their lifestyle.
Patient education is an important part of the healing process. No matter the patient’s condition. Education will improve the patient experience.
The impact that one healthcare device at the patient bedside could have on the patient experience is tremendous. It keeps patients entertained. It helps them communicate with home. It empowers and educates them by making them feel more confident and in control of their health.