5 Benefits of Patient Education Systems for Hospitals

Patient education has historically been the responsibility of healthcare professionals. Now, technology allows patients to control their own health and allows them to be proactive and prevent conditions from worsening. This is where the benefits of patient education systems for hospitals come into play, as it leaves patients happier and frees up valuable resources in hospitals.

Education is more critical than ever, especially since admission rates have skyrocketed in recent times. Patient education systems for hospitals benefit everyone involved, from under-pressure doctors and nurses to the patients themselves. Here are five of the most valuable benefits.

1. Enable Patients to Take Control of Their Healthcare
2. Reduces Patient Confusion
3. Improves the Patient Experience
4. Streamlines Meal Ordering
5. Staff Can Focus on High Priority Tasks

1. Enable Patients to Take Control of Their Healthcare

A patient education system allows patients to check aspects of their healthcare journey, ultimately giving them the freedom to take complete control of their situation. It means they no longer need to rely on staff to provide endless, outdated leaflets and reading aids to receive insights into their health.

This is an excellent benefit of patient education systems for hospitals, as patients will finally have all the information related to their recovery collated in one place — their own device.

Medication, treatment information, educational videos, diagnosis information — a patient has access to all of this and more at their fingertips. Best of all, a patient can access all of this critical information on their personal device. Utilising a patient education system on a device they’re familiar with eliminates teething problems and reduces any potential struggles.

2. Reduces Patient Confusion

It doesn’t matter how many times a doctor or nurse tells a patient they’re in the best place and in the care of the most capable hands — being hospitalised is never ideal. However, a considerable benefit of patient education systems for hospitals is that patients are likely to be more settled when they have full knowledge of the situation. 

Endless tests, multiple doctors and nurses running assessments and talking through various situations can become confusing for patients. In contrast, a modern patient education system provides relevant information regarding their healthcare, such as clinician notes or videos and articles that clarify their diagnosis.

Some patient education systems for hospitals also have an informative home screen, displaying the date, time and weather, so patients know where they are and what day it is. Combining all of this into one patient education system allows patients to take control of their situation; it reduces confusion and improves their mood. As a result, it makes for a more positive hospital experience.

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3. Improves the Patient Experience

Speaking of patient experiences, another critical benefit of patient education systems for hospitals is that having a library of essential information can significantly affect the patient experience. They’ll always be in the loop and know what to expect, meaning the hospital stay isn’t stressful.

Improving the patient experience via an innovative patient education system directly correlates with patient happiness, too. Happiness is proven to speed up recovery, so an education system can result in more upbeat, happier patients, which will make for shorter hospital stays.

With a patient education system, patients also get access to a variety of entertainment, such as TV channels, magazines and movies from across the decades. Having all of this on-demand dramatically improves patient comfort and happiness, aiding towards a speedier recovery.

4. Streamlines Hospital Services

A patient education system benefits hospitals as there’s functionality to allow for the hospital to streamline services such as digital meal ordering, conveniently allowing a patient to order their meal at a time that suits them. By integrating your meal ordering system with your patient education system you enable them to take complete control of their health outcomes.

Displaying digital menus with extensive nutritional information ensures that each patient chooses a meal that suits them and their needs.

For the hospital, it means the reduction of food wastage. Not just the food and drink, but also the paper wastage and order slips. The benefit of not having incorrect meals sent to each bed and patients eating what they ordered means the NHS saves money by reducing waste.

The NHS can then distribute the money saved into other areas of the organisation.

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5. Staff Can Focus on High Priority Tasks

Throughout the day, patients call on doctors and nurses for even the simplest of tasks. When patients require help, there’s no guarantee a nurse is available as they have so many other responsibilities. These regular, possibly low priority requests pile up and stop doctors and nurses from focusing on high priority tasks.

A benefit of patient education systems for hospitals is that patients can submit these requests digitally with an advanced system on their device. So, whether it’s an extra pillow or glass of water they need, nurses and doctors can focus on serious priority matters or forward simple requests to other team members.

This allows the NHS team to re-prioritise their time more efficiently without impacting the incredible level of service to all patients.

How Can You Provide Effective Patient Education?

To enhance patient education in your healthcare facility, you need to do more than assume a patient will know how to use the system and immediately become responsible for their health. While it needs to be comprehensive and easy to understand, there are ways you can provide effective patient education to benefit your patients and the hospital.

• Adopt Educational Technology: Implementing a patient education system is the place to start. Patients can’t become responsible when they meet stacks of papers they need to read through. Digital, simplified resources will help you achieve the benefits of patient education systems for hospitals mentioned in this blog.

• Determine the Learning Style: Don’t leave the patient to navigate the patient education system independently. Determine their learning style and signpost them to the relevant educational materials, such as audio or video resources.

• Stimulate Their Interest: Patients need to understand why being responsible for their health is essential. Engage with them, ask and answer questions and work out how your patients prefer their information. Some might want detailed sections, while others are satisfied with a quick bullet point list.

• Consider the Limitations: Some patients will adopt a patient education system much quicker than others, while some will have limitations you need to consider. For instance, patients with hearing issues will require more visual aids via their patient education system and those with visual impairment can benefit from audio resources.
• Include Family Members: Involving family members in patient education improves the likelihood of following health instructions. Families play a critical role in healthcare management, so bring them on the journey from the get-go.
  
  

When implemented correctly, the hospital and your patients can benefit from a patient education system, reducing costs and improving the experience in the process. At WiFi SPARK, we’re committed to working towards a better patient experience by putting patients in control.

How Our Innovative Features Will Benefit Your Hospital and Patients

If you’re looking to improve the patient experience at your healthcare facility, SPARK® Media can make it happen. We’ve taken your suggestions on board and continue to work tirelessly behind the scenes to bring you new features to benefit you and your patients.

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