PART №1 For the vast majority of people, the word hospital or clinic evokes negative emotions or even fear. At a subconscious level, medical institutions are associated with white coats and mysterious, sometimes unpredictable doctors. In reality, it’s not all that scary — on the contrary. Over the past few years the healthcare sector in Ukraine has changed significantly, and fortunately for the better. Rapid development of private practice, commercial clinics, laboratories, plastic surgery and cosmetology is at a peak. This is partly driven by healthcare reforms, but innovations and Digital Signage solutions also play a significant role. Digital signage and advertising‑information monitors in healthcare are an important tool that helps improve the patient experience for patients, visitors, and in some cases, clinic staff. Whether it is digital screens broadcasting entertainment content to pass the time while waiting for a doctor, interactive kiosks for navigating the maze of corridors in a large hospital, or informational screens showing visitor‑ or patient‑oriented content — it doesn’t matter. With digital signage and a well‑built patient communication strategy, a medical facility can smoothly transform from a “scary” place into one that supports and helps solve important issues related to the most valuable thing everyone has — health. In this article we have collected the TOP 10 examples of how the right Digital Signage technology and centralized content‑management systems on digital playback devices help businesses to:
- improve the clinic’s image and service presentation;
- significantly enhance communication quality with the target audience;
- positively change or improve the clinic’s perceived atmosphere;
- implement interactive interaction and use multichannel approaches;
- reduce costs, increase the medical facility’s profitability, and much more.
Corporate TV
The most common, highly successful and effective channel for communicating with the target audience in the networked healthcare segment is corporate television based on Digital Signage solutions. Many advanced networks of diagnostic labs and private medical institutions in Ukraine already successfully use their own media channels, allowing them to update information quickly (in real time) both within a single clinic and across national networks. Today, almost every clinic or laboratory center has LCD monitors or TVs installed that broadcast various content: from cartoons for children to medical informational content specific to a specialty (obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, etc.). In specialized clinics the relevance and effectiveness of corporate TV increase several times over. This channel enables monetization of all centralized management capabilities for audio, video and interactive content, consolidating all content‑management tasks into a single control point. A key advantage of implementing Digital Signage solutions is the ability to remotely configure and administer all processes: scheduling content playback both simultaneously on all network monitors and individually on each; forming playlists according to the schedule of a specific specialist, whose appointments may take place in different rooms or on different days of the week; informing about waiting times or online registration for a specific specialist with full information about the doctor (name, experience, academic degrees, etc.) — and many other useful features and settings. However, in most cases such projects are limited to using USB sticks and looping the same content offline (without the possibility of automatic content updates). Obviously, offline operation greatly limits or minimizes the effectiveness of purchasing/installation of a digital display (monitor, TV or panel) in a clinic.
Waiting time
All medical institutions are notoriously known for forcing patients and visitors to endure the “agony” of waiting. In his book The Psychology of Waiting Lines, David Maister describes that “uncertain waits feel longer than known, finite waits.” It has been proven that placing digital screens that broadcast appointment times in waiting areas can help reduce patient stress or anxiety by more than 35%. Thanks to the ability to display several types of content simultaneously, informational screens in a clinic become not only informative but also provide a more pleasant and less prolonged waiting or stay in the facility. Medical institutions can both inform and entertain patients and visitors by broadcasting news, neutral content, TV shows, or promotional‑informational content about the facility’s services.
Advertising as an additional source of income
In a previous article we described an example of monetization and evaluation of an advertising campaign on digital advertising LCD monitors in the network segment. However, it is worth reminding that bright dynamic digital advertising not only can improve perception for patients and visitors, but can also provide medical institutions with an additional opportunity to earn income by promoting third‑party products or services. Simple examples: a manufacturer of a cardiology drug branded “XXX” can additionally present all the benefits of its product to a patient waiting to see a cardiologist. This, in turn, greatly increases the chances that the patient will purchase the product advertised in the clinic. Digital screens significantly boost the effectiveness of on‑site advertising at the point of service, inform about advantages and promote various products, as well as announce events that may be useful for visitors. Acting as a non‑intrusive advisor in choosing the most appropriate solution, advertising monitors or digital screens become an effective tool influencing consumer decisions. Selling advertising time to third‑party institutions in healthcare and beyond positively affects the return on investment (ROI) of implementing Digital Signage solutions in your clinic, especially for networked segments or national‑level clinic chains.
Interactive communication and navigation in the clinic
Most of us have repeatedly faced situations where finding the right room in a large clinic becomes a real trial akin to a quest. Simple and clear navigation on LED or LCD screens becomes a lifesaver for both patients and visitors. In modern terminology, navigation (“wayfinding”) in clinics is an information system. It is a useful and convenient function of Digital Signage solutions that, like in large shopping‑entertainment centers, directs or corrects visitor movement through confusing corridors, orienting them in space. A large interactive screen with easy‑to‑understand navigation installed in a hospital lobby will help visitors orient themselves and quickly find the route from point “A” to point “B.” Often used for navigation are interactive floor‑standing touch totems or screens installed at corridor intersections. Installing detailed info‑points with an interactive doctor catalog and step‑by‑step instructions will allow your patients and visitors to find the required room or reach their destination more quickly and easily.
Digital menu in a café, cafeteria or sandwich bar
Hunger can strike anywhere. Hospitals, clinics and medical centers are no exception. You arrive at a café and don’t yet know what you’ll order, while the monitor displays an enticing large and appetizing burger, a fresh salad that “smells like summer,” a tempting dessert or a profitable daily special. Even if you only planned to have coffee and a donut, there’s a high chance you’ll order several items. Installing a digital menu in a café or restaurant located within a clinic will guarantee additional revenue from increased sales of promoted dishes. Delicious, bright, attractive and dynamic content attracts consumer attention. Correct logic for showing certain offers tied to time of day or days of the week motivates visitors to make additional purchases. An impulsive action, decision or purchase is one of the most common and effective ways to increase sales. Using digital menus largely helps establishments increase profitability and reduce costs. Replacing static city‑lights with digital ones, for example in a self‑service restaurant, typically pays off in 18–26 months on average. Digital menu boards are most effective when installed at the point of purchase decision — near the checkout. In previous articles we repeatedly described the key advantages of installing digital menus in cafés.
In the second part of the article “Digital Signage in Healthcare” we will discuss additional advantages that significantly help clinics and medical institutions improve communication quality and shorten return on investment (ROI) for implementing a centralized content‑management system.
