Healthcare Institutions Using Indoor Positioning Systems for a Better Patient Experience

Healthcare and technology go hand in hand so it only makes sense for hospitals to start looking toward an indoor positioning system for hospitals. Healthcare institutions are mostly crowded and have large indoor spaces. For patients, it can be difficult to find the right location for their appointments. With an indoor positioning system, users can easily navigate their way to the right room without any stress. Having an indoor positioning system will improve operational efficiency as well as support patients, visitors, and staff by creating a safer, more patient-centric facility.

An indoor positioning system for healthcare institutions provides so much value to the patients and visitors as well as the hospital staff. Providing visitors and patients with an easy, intuitive way to find their appointments in a busy multi-level hospital reduces the stress of a hospital visit. Trying to find the floor level of your doctor's office in a complex environment can be challenging and can sometimes lead to frustration. With a digital indoor map of the hospital, patients can easily find their way which limits the number of late appointments that healthcare providers tend to see due to confusing directions.

To maintain a patient-focused experience hospitals can also implement location marketing solutions for healthcare institutions. These solutions can help patients know about different clinic pop-ups, check-ups, and medical promotions. Small details matter when it comes to the patient experience. Delivering personalized, relevant notifications to patients, visitors, and staff, ensures everyone is kept up-to-date and appointments are running on schedule. When patients arrive at the hospital, sending a greeting message with news about upcoming events, changes to the property such as upgrades, or a new food court can make a deeper connection between the patient and the hospital. Sending out these notifications not only can provide a source of entertainment to pass time in the waiting room, but also build a strong mental connection to the hospital and the patient. If the hospital takes the time to inform patients about its upgrades or incentives it is likely the patient care is also going to be top tier. Location marketing solutions for hospitals increase revenue and increase patient satisfaction.

Medical emergencies need to be acted upon immediately. In emergency situations, an indoor positioning system can help in tracking assets and staff. The maps will show the location of all important machines and the location of the doctors. This will help with quick reaction times in life-threatening situations. This can help save millions of dollars and limit the amount of lost equipment while ensuring a better overall patient experience by using location-based solutions to help management effectively allocate staff and resources to where they’re needed most. It is estimated that over 10% of hospital assets can go missing in a year. That means unnecessary purchasing equipment that is misplaced and replacing equipment that is lost. Looking for lost items can take up to 20 minutes or more of the staff’s time which is costly to the hospital and also the level of care they provide. Being in a situation where a patient has to wait 20 or more minutes to have a blood pressure machine or a wheelchair available to them when they had already booked an appointment does not leave for a positive hospital experience.

As important as it is to have an indoor positioning system in place it is almost equally as important to be able to obtain data from the patient and visitor interaction within the hospital. Indoor positioning systems for hospitals aren't always equipped with further intelligence such as an analytics platform but sometimes they are. If an IPS is supported with analytics this location-based data can be used in a multitude of ways such as learning more about patient behavior patterns and resource utilization to increase staff efficiency. For example, advanced heat maps can help management pinpoint overcrowded areas, ensuring patients receive the fastest routes to their appointments.

From the parking lot to their destination within the property, it is important to ensure patients can quickly find their way by enabling an indoor positioning system with powerful navigation tools that can take the stress and frustration out of their visit. Elevate the patient experience by using an advanced location-based indoor positioning system for healthcare institutions. An indoor positioning system for hospitals provides effortless indoor navigation and keeps healthcare workers connected while minimizing operational spending. In addition, adding a location marketing solution for healthcare institutions creates a constant connection between the hospital and patients. Integrating a location marketing solution for hospitals not only helps with patient connection but it provides a sense of trust and quality of care that can’t be overlooked.

By creating a junction between indoor positioning, analytics, and marketing, a new era of smart healthcare emerges to further better the healthcare system. Providing care based on real-time location data and behaviors is the ticket to a highly rated healthcare institution.

A tech-savvy blogger and writer. I take great interest in learning about new innovations in technology and how it is changing our world.