Improve Patient Wayfinding in Hospitals: Best Practices for Wayfinding Design

May 13, 2022

Our digital wayfinding solution is a proven and successful tool for improving the patient experience.

Healthcare facilities are often located in big and complicated buildings — and unless you’re a healthcare worker, you’re probably not visiting the hospital too often. When you do, there’s a good chance you’re under a bit of stress — and in those moments, trying to navigate an unfamiliar massive complex isn’t really an obstacle you want to be facing. 

Traditionally, these realities haven’t been prioritized by hospital design. Instead, the focus has understandably been on creating systems that deliver the most efficient healthcare. As a result, healthcare facilities can be a mishmash of locations for services, connected in ways that may not be the most intuitive for navigation, leaving patients and other visitors confused and stressed in already tough moments. In the worst of the worst situations, poor patient wayfinding can result in someone not getting the care they need fast enough, and suffering the consequences. 

Moreover, because of these situations, it’s not uncommon for there to be a stark difference in the quality of healthcare provided and the overall patient experience — and ineffective wayfinding can really alter the perception of patients and the overall reputation of a healthcare facility in its community. On the other hand, a patient experiencing a friendly and positive visit to a healthcare facility can do the opposite.

With Prosight, our digital wayfinding solution is a proven and successful tool for improving the patient experience and overall hospital efficiency. Implementing our platform can offer various immediate and long-term benefits.

Streamlining Wayfinding Navigation

Effective and well-implemented digital wayfinding makes navigation as clear as possible for guests, offering a variety of accurate and clear-cut visual indicators. There are multiple ways to approach this puzzle, and with Prosight, we understand what to focus on. We design systems to help alleviate patient stress and improve overall hospital operations.

A Real-time, Indoor GPS Including Turn-by-Turn Notifications

Digital wayfinding is an extremely useful tool, and providing it for patients and visitors will allow them to keep detailed track of their location within the hospital. This navigation system feels similar to the one you use every day in your car, showing a patient their exact location while providing turn-by-turn directions. Hospital facilities are constantly evolving and changing, and these real-time updates work to stay ahead of any potentially confusing situations.

Customizable Pins to Bookmark Important Locations Such as Rooms and Parking Spots

“What section of the parking garage did we leave our car in?” “What floor is that specialist on again?” Sometimes physical signage isn’t enough — and can actually be quite confusing. Our digital wayfinding navigation provides tools to keep things organized. Patients don’t need to worry about trying to remember frivolous details when they’re in the midst of stressful situations. These bookmarks foster an environment where the patient’s direct needs and health concerns are unquestionably the number one priority.

Blue Dot Navigation Guidance to Specific Places of Note Within the Hospital

An immediate way to take the stress away from visitors or patients is by providing them with clear wayfinding. Blue dot navigation guidance can quickly show guests exactly where they need to go by providing answers to general questions — like, where is the cafeteria, the closest restroom, the nursery, et cetera. Help make their hospital experience as pleasant as possible. This is effective digital wayfinding in action.

Making Hospital Wayfinding an Engaging Experience for Patients and Visitors

Technology should make your life easier, not harder. Prosight’s patient wayfinding technology does exactly that, providing a one-stop-shop for all of your healthcare needs. 

Our wayfinding technology interface is a platform that engages patients in ways beyond navigation, with the ability to notify guests of certain situations and provide detailed hospital information. 

Personalized Alerts as Visitors Enter Specific Locations in and Around the Hospital 

Wayfinding technology in hospitals helps healthcare workers take care of their guests. Prosight’s technology will notify visitors about certain details when they enter different parts of the hospital, acting as a guide without being disruptive, giving the information visitors need while allowing healthcare workers to focus on doing their job, not directing foot traffic.

Geofence Access to Trigger Mobile Express Check-In for Patients

On top of other remote capabilities, Prosight’s technology offers mobile express check-in for patients, creating quicker and more efficient access to healthcare. Our technology helps expedite the minute tasks involving paperwork, forms, and other sometimes annoying clerical situations.

Painless Content Support, Including Cloud-Based Content Management and Easily Updated Content

Prosight also specializes in creating an efficient system for hospitals to publish various content to their patients or visitors. Our systems are smooth and user-friendly, offering a simple environment to upload information that guests may be expecting or searching for. By creating a simple and easy system for uploading content, The technology allows a more friendly and enjoyable digital interaction for patients and visitors. We help you provide your friendly services in a digital fashion.

How to Leverage Analytics

Like anything in life, if you’re not analyzing what you’re doing, then you’re leaving potential success on the table. Prosight wayfinding technology provides hospitals with a greater understanding of pure operations — where things could either be faster or slower. This information helps administrators make informed decisions based on data — helping better patient flow to further the patient experience, and generally improve hospital efficiency.

Our wayfinding analytics are friendly and accessible, a quick way to understand the various flows and habits that exist within the greater hospital ecosystem. By consistently examining the analytics and improving various parts of the hospital experience for both caregivers and guests, the overall patient experience improves. Better healthcare, better experience. Prosight makes it that simple.

Improving Patient Wayfinding in Hospitals

The hospital organization is a living, breathing thing. Digital wayfinding technology pulls the curtain back, offering a crucial perspective on understanding how patients and caregivers flow together. 

Understanding this flow is crucial because wayfinding design is a vital pillar for healthcare. When done properly, the right wayfinding execution can decrease patient and visitor stress, improve hospital functionality and showcase hospital principles and priorities. It’s a must for any healthcare facility as our society moves into the future.

Contact us to transform your operation today!

Jaiganesh Balasubramanian
Director, Product and Technology

Jai is a product and technology executive with demonstrated history in building and growing several brands and businesses in the Smart building and Healthcare space. Jai joined Cox Prosight in 2020 and is responsible for developing and executing the company’s Smart Hospital strategy, including solution and partnership development, investments, acquisitions, and business growth. Prior to Cox, Jai led the development and management of IoT smart and connected building technologies with a specialty in building automation systems and location-based solutions and has a track record of achieving growth and penetration into new market segments. Jai holds an MBA from Cornell University and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Northern Illinois University. Jai, his wife, and two children live in Atlanta, GA.