The patient experience in healthcare systems is becoming more widely recognised as essential for the continued recovery of patients, along with their overall wellbeing. Patient expectations are evolving, and today’s patients expect more and more to be engaged and considered in their care plan. It is a challenging time to be in hospital, with larger waiting times, labyrinthian corridors to navigate while not really knowing where to go, feeling disconnected and vulnerable while waiting to see specialists, along with staff who are navigating workloads of unprecedented magnitude.

So, how can healthcare settings navigate these challenges while still delivering exceptional patient care? One hospital in Finland has done just that.

Educating, Engaging and Entertaining Patients

The Central Finland Health Care District encompasses 21 municipalities serving 275,000 people and is the largest non-university hospital district in Finland, with services in nearly all medical specialities. The newest addition to the district, Hospital Nova in Jyväskylä, is a state-of-the-art facility that aims to serve the needs of future medicine with new healthcare processes supported by modern ICT-solutions for both patients and staff.

Smartroom Health, an advanced multiscreen solution by Hibox Systems, has been taken into use by Hospital Nova to create an outstanding patient experience that fit in seamlessly with the hospital's arsenal of digital tools.

As a modern healthcare provider, Hospital Nova wants to enhance patient satisfaction. It found that this could be achieved by keeping patients involved in every step of their health plan, as well as providing access to modern entertainment capabilities to help aid their recovery.

Handing Control to the Patient

In utilizing Smartroom Health, Hospital Nova is able to provide full functionality to patients and staff using digital displays. Visual information and content is displayed on more than 600 digital signage screens and door displays, helping patients to feel more secure and in control of their care journey. The screens in the public areas (the largest of which are 98 inches located in the main hallway) provide real-time information to patients, visitors and staff - wayfinding, news, public transport schedules and cafeteria menus being the least of them. There is an integral self-registration and queuing system that guides the patients from check-in to call-in, using innovative visual cues and sounds on the screens. The comprehensive patient wayfinding solution even replaces physical signs in the hospital, negating that awful experience of feeling like you are wandering the halls with no end in sight!

To improve patient experiences even further, Hospital Nova is currently expanding its use of Smartroom Health by adding TVs in all patient rooms. In addition to advanced entertainment services, these can be used to watch educational videos, receive scheduled reminders, call for nurse assistance, place video calls to family members, consult specialists through virtual doctor appointments, or even order food.

With this addition, Hibox will have delivered almost 1000 screens of different types to Hospital Nova, connecting all of these into one single system. Even in the ICU, Hibox has delivered 19” medical-grade bedside TVs for a perfect viewing experience, delivering both online streaming services and live TV.

Communication is Key

The potential for healthcare providers to provide increasingly bespoke care is enabled with the huge array of features included with Smartroom Health. The inclusion of interactive patient TV, mobile devices and other patient-facing solutions would allow patients to feel truly engaged with their care. The Smartroom Tablet solution is for personal use, for communication, information and entertainment. Hibox Meet, a video call solution, would enable patients to call relatives, medical staff, or even each other whenever they want. There is text to speech integration, to allow speech synthesis of information for patients who are unable to read for themselves. There is even a virtual remote control, so patients can control their TV with their phone or other mobile device.

Of course, the benefits aren’t just for the patients - Hibox Meet allows caregivers to contact patients with latest updates on their care as and when necessary, and there is also a Microsoft Exchange Calendar Integration, which enables staff to book meeting/treatment rooms directly from their personal calendars. Staff can also distribute vital signs and other data in 4K resolution to multiple displays for reliable 24/7 monitoring.

A Home Away from Home

As previously stated, high patient engagement has been shown to result in improved health outcomes and recovery. The patient must always remain at the centre of healthcare. By consistently enabling patients to input into their own care, and allowing them to feel like they are more than “just a number”, Hospital Nova can create a comforting and nurturing environment to help aid recovery, resulting in engaged, happier patients.

Hibox Smartroom Health has been shortlisted in the CSI Awards, due to be announced on 23rd September 2021.