Using AV to Improve Internal Issues

When architects and designers begin envisioning a build, they often start by thinking about the end-user. In healthcare contexts, for example, the focus is on patients first, followed by visitors. We champion this mentality and believe that the patient experience is what matters most when designing hospital-grade AV systems. Once the patients’ needs and wants have been accounted for, though, it is the perfect time to talk with your AV design consultants about the internal team. Here is a look at how AV can also be used to positively impact healthcare personnel and their daily work. 

Workflow Wishes

One of the best ways to understand what a facility’s staff needs to better do its work – and enjoy it more – is by simply having a conversation. This can take the form of selecting a focus group with representatives from each department of the hospital, or it could be conducted via a staff-wide survey. There are plenty of other ways to solicit feedback from the team, but what is most important is caring enough to do so. 

Ask specific questions about the workflows in every area of the facility. What has worked well? What causes hang-ups or frustrations? You may find, for instance, that your front desk folks are consistently aggravated by questions from patients and visitors waiting in the lobby and end up not having enough time to handle their administrative duties. In such a scenario, you could explore the use of interactive kiosks to help facilitate self-check-in and/or displays that share answers to frequently asked questions. By incorporating these types of solutions, fewer people will need to take their questions to the front desk staff and, in turn, they will have more time to attend to their admin tasks. 

Stress & Burnout

Mental health problems are pervasive in our country and can be further exacerbated by poor physical health. But, patients are not the only ones who carry this burden. Medical staff and caregivers are often left dealing with highly stressful situations, made even worse by high volume workloads and not enough support. This can lead to worsened mental health and eventual burnout or illness for medical teams. 

AV cannot solve all of these problems on its own, but it can help make internal work more efficient and rewarding. Here are some examples: 

• Implementing nurse call systems gives patients peace of mind and also provides a mechanism for nurses to receive requests for help before they become all-encompassing issues. 
• Wayfinding systems help visitors get where they need to go, so staff members do not need to personally escort them in the midst of tending to patients. 
• Interactive TVs in patient rooms help to lower patient stress levels. This consequently trickles down to boost healthcare workers’ morale, as patients who are calmer often treat their caregivers and doctors better. 

While hospital-grade AV systems should first and foremost be used to elevate the patient experience, they can -and should – also be used to help improve internal issues within a facility. Interested in designing creative solutions that help the patients, visitors, and staff interact with your next build? We would love to help!