Patient engagement systems are revolutionizing how patients are cared for. Using technology that patients are already familiar with helps distract from discomfort and pain, educate them about their treatment, and reduce nurse call button presses. This improvement of care is resulting in happier patients, which leads to better Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores. Below, we’ve listed some of the biggest impacts that engagement has on the industry, and the technology they are using to make it happen.
PATIENT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMS
One of the biggest undertakings nurses face in patient care is helping them deal with their physical pain and discomfort. One that is in constant pain is an unhappy patient, which could lead to low HCAHPS scores.
Entertainment systems use interactive mediums like tablets, TV’s and mobile devices, to help distract patients from their discomfort. The distraction of movies, games, and music engages patients, allowing them to take more of the focus off of their pain, enabling them to rest fully and heal at a faster rate. This also helps nurses and their busy workload.
DOCTOR-PATIENT INTERACTION
Patient engagement technology is also making it easier for doctors to interact with their patients. Accomplished by using the same mobile devices used for entertainment systems, doctors are able to communicate in a number of ways. They can send and receive messages, make video conference calls, and even give surveys.
This software offers flexibility to physicians and specialists who can consult or check-in on a patient without having to be present in the room. Today, patients are always within reach of the doctor or specialist.
PATIENT-STAFF INTERACTION
What if the nursing staff had the power to know what a patient needed before stepping into their room? If they could always come prepared for requests, they would be making half as many trips into hospital rooms,
reducing physical and workload stress. Engagement systems make this possible, by allowing patients to send requests and check documents all on their own using tablets and mobile devices.
Patients can send messages to the staff, such as requesting an extra blanket or changing the temperature in the room, allowing the nurses to come completely prepared. It also allows them to learn about their care team, view their schedule, and more. By using systems like this, they will always feel like the assistance they need is close by.
At the Nicholson Center, we strive to improve patient satisfaction by improving team communication and team training at our state-of-the-art bioskills lab facility. If you are interested in learning more about the training and services we provide, please visit our website.
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