Digital signage for hospital wards

Lately, we’ve started putting some information that’s a little different on our patient information screens. Nothing wild and outrageous, per se, but it is wildly useful and outrageously informative. Ward screen information is a slightly different beast than the usual patient information we display on screens in public waiting areas. The information required in a ward can be much more specific and personal to the ward itself, with staff photos and names, statistics and information particular to the inpatients of a hospital rather than the more general healthcare messages that are popular in waiting areas and main entrances.

Let’s start by showing you what we’re doing with the Friends and Family Test. We’ve create messages similar to this for many Trusts:

This is a simple messages letting people know about the Friends and Family Test and how to participate in it. We also have many messages with space for wards and other departments to fill in their current Friends and Family Test results onto the screens. We use an RSS feed for this, and every month the hospital can log in and update this information as it becomes available. So everyone (staff, patients and visitors) is aware of the ward’s performance and how it has varied from last month. It’s a great way to publicise this information to those who need it.

Here are a couple more excellent examples of RSS feeds in ward messages. Specifically, messages about patient safety:

These messages are also edited by the hospital monthly, to show the number of cases of C.Diff, MRSA, number of pressure ulcers and falls. Then this is broken down by the ward. This information needs to be out in the open and public to showcase Kingston Hospital’s commitment to patient safety and keeping the highest standards alive in their wards.

This is especially important after the Francis Report, with new initiatives being put in place to prevent failures in care and to inform patients about things like ‘safe’ levels of staffing for each ward. We are currently working on a series of messages for a few Trusts that can be edited daily to indicate each ward’s level of staffing, and what the ‘safe’ level actually is. This will make it apparent to anyone on the ward if the current staffing levels are falling short of the safe minimum.

Other important staffing messages that are already live on screens at Kingston include these slides that introduce the Ward Manager and welcome you to the ward.

Each ward has its own unique message, with the welcome message being updated as the Nurse in Charge changes shift.  It’s also nice to have individual messages about the staff on each ward displayed on the screens, as it puts a face to the name and can help patients and visitors to quickly identify a senior staff member should they have any concerns about their care. We’re also developing messages with images of different hospital uniforms and how to easily identify various healthcare workers by their uniform, making any hospital stay easier.

Another useful message for visitors and patients alike is this one about meal times:

This is an informative message for any inpatient that would usually be left off the playlist of a patient information screen located in a more public part of the hospital. With ward screens we have been able to really tailor our messaging to the information requirements of each ward, and while we have still kept some fairly general messages in circulation this more specific approach seems to be appreciated by all.

If you would like your hospital wards to benefit from the Patient Information Initiative, please do get in touch. We can work with you to create bespoke messages that best suit the needs of your Trust.