Patients are becoming increasingly discerning consumers, seeking exceptional experiences that offer personalized attention, compassionate care, and seamless interactions.
Moreover, superior customer experience enhances patient engagement and significantly impacts the bottom line. Nearly a decade ago, Accenture observed that healthcare organizations providing exceptional patient experiences achieve 50% higher margins than those offering average experiences.
The 2021 Accenture survey of about 1,800 people in the United States showed that only one in three people (33%) did not have a negative healthcare experience. Of the people who reported negative experiences, nearly half (44%) said they felt stressed or upset about it.
How can healthcare businesses be affected by negative patient experiences, and how can they improve their bottom line by fostering positive experiences? How can digital signage be utilized to enhance outcomes? We’ll explain all of this below.
Impact of Patient Experience on Business
How patients experience healthcare can affect how people see a healthcare provider in a community. Nowadays, there are multiple channels through which patients can share their thoughts – online via social media, word-of-mouth, and even blogs.
Patients with good experiences are more likely to stick around and tell their family and friends about it. It helps bring in new patients and makes the provider look good, making them a trusted choice in the community. Happy patients also return for more care and leave positive comments online, which helps healthcare organizations make more money. Conversely, bad experiences can hurt a healthcare organization’s reputation and cause patients to leave, which means losing business and money.
So, it won’t be wrong to say that patient experience is crucial to the success of healthcare organizations. Integrating digital displays and screens within healthcare facilities enables the display of relevant and personalized content to patients, visitors, and staff. This strategic approach aims to enhance communication, soothe anxiety, and allow a more comforting and immersive environment.
What do Patients Want?
Long story short, the answer is better patient experience.
A recent healthcare study found that over a third (36.4%) of patients changed their healthcare provider in the past two years. And 8 out of 10 said it was because they had a bad in-person experience or couldn’t communicate well with their doctor.
Digital signage can change this for the good. Not only can you use a multi-lingual interface for your displays, but you can also improve the in-person experience by taking small steps in the right direction. For example, you can reduce perceived wait times via infotainment and gamification in your digital signage. You can also communicate with staff in real-time via dynamic displays.
Simple processes can smoothen the patient experience, and tech should reduce administrative headaches and boost staff productivity. Ideally, the focus should be on better communication, shorter wait times, and slick care coordination, all of which add up to lower costs, more brilliant resource use, and a healthier bottom line.
L Squared Hub and vendors with similar products can offer a user-friendly dashboard for efficiently managing and sharing content on digital displays such as TVs, websites, and mobile devices.
Challenges in Choosing the Right Digital Communication Partner
Some of the biggest challenges in choosing the right communications partner is overlooking patients in software selection, poor vendor support and scalability and flexibility.
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Overlooking patients in software selection
Many internal groups within an organization are consulted regarding software decisions. Their perspectives and priorities often take precedence, and the final decision-making process involves navigating complex organizational politics rather than prioritizing the best patient experience.
At L Squared, humans are at the heart of all operations. We make communication simple for healthcare staff and patients with digital signage. Using our cloud-based communication system, you can send real-time updates, patient information, and even emergency messages to keep patients and hospital staff up to date.
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Scalability and Flexibility
Healthcare is a dynamic industry. That’s why you need a scalable solution that can grow with you. Additionally, your communication solution has to be adaptable to various healthcare needs such as internal communication, patient experience, and emergency regulation.
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Vendor Support
Poor customer support is one of the most significant issues digital signage clients face. It is a big deterrent for them. You need a team that offers proactive support even after digital adoption and implementation. This support could be related to training, feature walk-throughs, or even additional feature requests.
How Digital Signage Solves These Challenges to Improve Patient Experience
While there are several benefits to using digital signage in patient care, the following are the main advantages.
Customized Content: Digital signage empowers healthcare providers to deliver tailored content to patients, creating a more engaging and personalized experience. Such personalized experiences can include information about their care plan, medication reminders, educational materials, entertainment options, and more.
Enhanced Communication: Digital displays can help improve communication between patients and healthcare providers. For example, nurses can update care plans and provide real-time updates on the patient’s condition, eliminating the need for manual updates on whiteboards. This enhances workflow efficiency and ensures that patients receive the most up-to-date information.
Wayfinding and Navigation: Digital signage can assist patients and visitors in navigating the hospital by providing wayfinding information and digital directories. This helps reduce confusion and stress, allowing patients to easily find their way to their desired locations within the facility.
Queue Management: Digital signage can display patient queues, offering instantaneous updates on wait times and reducing patient anxiety. This helps patients stay informed and eliminates the need for constant inquiries to staff about their wait times.
Entertainment and Distraction: Digital displays can offer entertainment options to patients in waiting areas, helping them reduce boredom and anxiety. Short-form programming and family-friendly content can be displayed, providing a more pleasant and engaging waiting room experience.
Promotional and Educational Content: Digital signage can promote ancillary services, community involvement, and health and wellness tips. This allows healthcare providers to educate patients about various services and encourage them to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Simplified Updates and Maintenance: Digital signage allows easy content updates and maintenance. Changes can be made instantly, eliminating the need for printing and distributing physical materials. This saves time and resources while ensuring that information is always current.
L-Squared Case Study
The Ministry of Health identified that long wait times in Ontario’s emergency rooms were partly due to patients not being aware of alternative healthcare options. To address this issue, L Squared developed an interactive kiosk system to educate patients about healthcare choices. The kiosks were installed in 20 busy hospitals across Ontario, and the project was completed within four months. As a result, L Squared received an award from the Government of Ontario for the success of this initiative.
Partnering with L Squared
We at L Squared aim to assist you in achieving success in patient acquisition and retention through our expertise in digital communication. Our digital signage solutions, powered by a robust cloud-based CMS and advanced displays, are tailored to elevate your patients’ experience. Whether it involves creating interactive interfaces or adapting to real-time updates, we are prepared to help you optimize every digital interaction.
Seize tomorrow’s opportunities with L Squared. Contact us at info@LSquared.com to collaborate on creating impactful experiences for the present and the future.