Hospital Wayfinders: More Than Directories & Maps
Not so long ago, finding your way around the hospital involved a complex system of colored lines painted on the floor. You might be told by the well-meaning information booth attendant to “follow the yellow line to the green line, turn right at the blue line until you get to the orange line.” It’s doubtful that many visitors ever got to their destination without having to ask for directions again along the way.
A hospital visit is stressful enough for patients and their loved-ones as it is. Helping them to find their way around your facility with a tool that is intuitive and friendly can go along way in alleviating that stress by presenting your hospital as a caring compassionate and helpful institution.
By connecting the system to your patient database, hospital wayfinders can lead visitors right to the patient’s room or to the appropriate department. Wayfinders can show you the directions on a map, show what the journey will look like with photo or videos of each part of the journey, or it can break the journey down leading visitors from one numbered wayfinder station to the next along the way. The system could also be synched to an app that would show the directions on a mobile device or the instructions could be sent to a phone via text message. Alternatively, the directions can be printed right at the station.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg of what custom-designed digital interactive hospital wayfinders can help to accomplish in your hospital. The interface can be made available in a choice of virtually any language. By incorporating voice recognition or motion sensitive technology, your wayfinders can offer even more accessibility to all of your visitors.
For visitors who are not comfortable with the use of technology, the wayfinders can be used as a communication tool to instantly connect with security, the information desk or any department, office or service in your hospital.
Since it is fully customizable, your wayfinder system can be programmed to do so much more than just giving directions. When you consider recent advances in technology, the possibilities are virtually limited only by our imagination.
When guests are not using the hospital wayfinders, it can be programmed to display weather information, newsfeeds and interesting and educational health related tips and advice. It can also help to strengthen your bond with the community by highlighting your hospital’s history. Used in conjunction with your interactive donor wall, it can be an additional vehicle to recognize your supporters.