The Future of Wayfinding Software for Healthcare Facilities
The solutions and advantages wayfinding software has provided the healthcare industry over the past several years are astounding. Not only from a sheer navigational standpoint, but also in regards to a wide variety of economic and synergistic benefits, ranging from helping hospitals save millions of dollars in missed hospital appointments to assisting hospital staff with handling patients throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
But while the digital advantages that innovative wayfinding technologies have been able to bestow upon healthcare facilities are abundant and evident, the future of wayfinding designs and strategies may hold even more advantageous opportunities for both hospital staff and patients alike. As the demand for more accommodative and intricate wayfinding signage systems increases, let’s take a closer look at what the future may hold for hospital wayfinding solutions moving forward.
Mobile Connectivity
While the implementation of digital wayfinding and smartphones has already been established, the future of this merging of technology is being heavily invested in. More than half of Americans currently use their cell phones for online mapping and navigation services, and that percentage will only continue to steadily increase over the impending decades.
Utilizing Bluetooth and Content Management System (CMT) technologies, hospital wayfinding services are beginning to incorporate the wayfinding experience into their patients’ smartphones. These mobile app developments and connectivity services help patients with everything from using their phones as hospital maps, scheduling appointments, checking-in for check-ups, uploading and sharing health information, and other convenient means of enhancing the overall patient experience. They’re also able to health healthcare facilities gain a better understanding of evaluating their patients’ experiences, by assessing waiting times, providing navigation updates, or instantly responding to any patient inquiries or concerns in real time.
IoT Technologies
The biggest transition hospital wayfinding technology looks to shift toward is a patients’ ability to access those wayfinding solutions off-site. This is essentially the primary focus of Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies, in accordance with participating hospitals. IoT technologies aim is to bring the healthcare facility experience into patients’ homes, allowing them to stay better connected with their hospital and healthcare providers.
Future IoT healthcare capabilities will include:
● Barcoding and label systems to transfer medical data from patient to physician in real time
● Remote temperature and vital signs monitoring
● Prescription medication refill and usage reminders
● Medical and therapeutic data transcriptions
● Medication effectiveness and side effect tracking
Inclusive Simplification
While digital wayfinding services have become more accessible and easy-to-interpret over the years, the fact remains that there are still millions of people with medical conditions and disabilities that can hinder them from experiencing the advantages of wayfinding technologies as other people experience them. In fact, there are 6.5 million people in the U.S. who have intellectual or developmental disabilities, and most of them are forced to spend significant amounts of time within various healthcare facilities.
That’s why there’s been more of an emphasis on setting up wayfinding services to be more inclusive to those living with disabilities, creating more customizable and compatible wayfinding solutions that won’t overload a disabled user with controls, signage, symbols, instructions, etc. This includes incorporating more visual and audio navigational aids, providing users with more options when it comes to their wayfinding preferences, rather than hoping all users assimilate to specific versions of wayfinding software.
Operational Efficiency
Perhaps the biggest goal in the future of healthcare wayfinding services is focusing more on improving the overall efficiency of both staff workers and patients alike. As much as patients need assistance navigating their way around various healthcare facilities, so do the employees who work there.
When precious time is spent double checking patient check-ins and registrations, directing patients where to go, answering questions, or any other dependency on communication, that’s time that could easily be freed up through digital wayfinding services, as well as be spent on adhering to more urgent matters. Much of the patient experience depends on the experience of the healthcare workers, and creating wayfinding software with everyone’s needs in mind is the answer to creating more successful digital wayfinding solutions.
Contact Oppna Digital for Professional Hospital Wayfinding Solutions
If you’re looking to enhance efficiency, organization, and overall patient experience at your healthcare facility, Oppna Digital is here to help! We pride ourselves on providing exceptional digital wayfinding solutions that are customized to fit your clinic or hospital’s needs. Contact us today to request a demo of our services, or give us a call at 651-237-5677 to speak directly with one of our digital wayfinding experts.