Patient Engagement Technology Advances

Systems offer greater integration, customization, and device accessibility

In recent years, patient education and entertainment systems have evolved into patient engagement systems. They incorporate a wide range of media such as digital whiteboards and interactive TVs, which can improve the patient experience.

Many systems are designed to give patients health information, education, and entertainment in a language they can understand. The growth of technologies such as hand-held devices, Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) has accelerated the development of these systems as well.

However, hospitals pose some difficulties for vendors. Last of appropriate infrastructure is an issue, and many hospitals need to upgrade TVs, cabling and hardware. Also, many electronic health records (EHRs) do not support integration. All of these factors can add up in cost.

Due to constrained budgets and low staffing levels post-pandemic, limited funds are available to invest in patients engagement systems, manufacturers say.

Hospital Challenges

One of the top challenges hospitals face today is nurse staffing, says Jeff Fallon, chairman and CEO of eVideon, Grand Rapids, Mich.

"Recent innovations in patient engagement platforms help reduce the burden on nurses, ridding them of nonclinical tasks and providing them with access to mission-critical data at the point of care," says Fallon. "Enabling the care team to practice at the top of their license is not just an essential management strategy; it's a proven driver of improved patient outcomes."

Another issue is increased demand for better consumer entertainment services in patient rooms. Patients want TVs with advanced streaming and entertainment functions, just like the ones they have at home. However, the hospital market presents hurdles that make streaming platforms difficult to add...

Read the full article in Health Facilities Management May 2023 Issue >