Tags: Healthcare / Hospitals, Wayfinding / Information
10/24/11
 
NCR Corp., a provider of self-service hospital check-in technology, today announced that Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisc., has rolled out NCR Wayfinding to improve the overall patient experience by helping patients and visitors more easily locate their destination within the hospital.
The evolution of quality program requirements, such as the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) initiative, has put a greater emphasis on patient engagement. Consequently, healthcare providers are employing technology solutions like wayfinding that can help to improve the overall patient experience, according to NCR.
"We are constantly identifying new ways to simplify daily interactions for our patients and enhance their visit from the moment they set foot in the hospital," said Paul Wendelberger, wayfinding specialist, Froedtert Hospital. "NCR Wayfinding is one way we can help eliminate the undue stress of being late to an appointment because you got lost inside the facility."
Prior to arrival, patients can access NCR Wayfinding online to map the route to their specific destination within the hospital. They can then print a real-time map with detailed directions. Patients arriving at the hospital may also work with information desk staff to secure personalized maps generated by the NCR Wayfinding system.
The application uses "live" maps — unlike static ones that may be outdated — to produce real-time directions outlining the optimum route. If an elevator is down or construction is underway, staff can edit the central mapping application, which then automatically updates the Web database.
"Patients entering a large healthcare facility may already be feeling anxious, and having to find the lab, x-ray or other specialty area can exacerbate that uneasiness," said Jim Dowling, vice president and general manager for NCR Healthcare. "Self-service solutions for check-in, wayfinding and other routine interactions can allay that fear by giving patients more control over their entire healthcare experience."