Patient Demographics are Changing
A common concern in healthcare systems is how to use available technology for increasing patient engagement. When patient engagement is managed correctly, it leads to lower readmissions, increased satisfaction, happier patients and lower operating costs. Patient engagement needs to support patient-centered care as a partnership between the Care Team and patient. Collaboration and communication needs to be a seamless process for actively engaging patients in their care for the best outcomes.
Bob Dylan wrote, “The Times They Are A-Changin”, and that has never been more pertinent than it is today. Technology has transformed almost all aspects of our lives, and one example of this is how we watch entertainment TV, news, and movies. How Americans consume media is changing at a rapid pace. All age groups are moving away from traditional broadcast to streaming and on-demand programming options, including the senior population. A recent study, conducted by the Pew Research Center, shows that in 2016, 34% of Americans aged 65 and up use streaming devices to consume entertainment on demand, compared to 41% who watch through traditional methods. That usage is a 36% percent increase compared to that number as of 2015. The reality is that the way we engage with our media and entertainment is changing, and changing fast.
You Can Leverage Patient Engagement
Why is this important for a healthcare system or facility? For multiple reasons:
- Individuals are consuming media-on-demand, on their terms and at a dramatic pace.
- The knowledge and use of interactive devices is increasing across all age groups.
- Healthcare consumers expect a more home-like experience with devices that are familiar and intuitive.
Facilities can use these trends to their advantage to better educate, communicate and entertain while providing the clinical staff tools to better manage, measure and document the quality of care.
HCI’s HUB Set Top Box, working through MediaCare in tandem with Interactive Whiteboards, handheld tablets and in-room patient televisions is a highly flexible, scalable and cost-effective platform for increasing patient engagement. The HUB can be deployed on any TV with an HDMI port, so healthcare providers can quickly transform their current televisions into a full-featured patient entertainment, education, and communication solution. This allows them to scale according to budgetary cycles as needed.
The HCI Interactive Patient Care Solution, using the HUB and digital devices to provide a variety of entertainment options, offers:
- Push delivery of patient-specific education plans through digital patient whiteboards and in-room patient television.
- Entertainment options such as blockbuster movies, games, relaxation programming, and music.
- Real-time access and recording to important care, room, and staff information.
- Online workflow management, reporting, and analytic tools.
- Satisfaction surveys and educational content comprehension testing.
- Automated clinical workflows and EHR documentation.
