How to Promote Patient Health Using Waiting Rooms

Using “Wait Times” to Improve Patient Health: A Healthcare Niche Paradigm Shift

Take a look at this statistic that was published in the American Journal of Managed Care by Harvard University.

“US citizens spend about 1.1 billion hours every year obtaining medical care for themselves. And this time is worth an estimated $52 billion.”

If you run a practice that has a waiting room, keep reading.

About 53% of this sum - $28 billion is wasted outside the chamber for a turn with the doctor.

Yes, that is correct.

Your patients cumulatively lose billions of dollars as they twiddle their thumbs in the waiting area. Given the rising cost and demand of health care services, doctor queue times are not going to shorten in the near future.

The least you can do for them is use these hours to promote sound health by:

Providing quality knowledge of preventive measures in a memorable way
Creating a stress free ambience that helps them open up with their caregivers
Initiating a routine of post appointment follow-ups so that the health regime isn’t abandoned mid-way

The waiting area doesn’t need to stand for forced time off in an unpleasant setting. Flip this perspective. Add something positive to the lives of your clients instead.

Use of Virtual Reality (VR) to Disseminate Relevant Information

Come allergy season the waiting rooms of clinics are flooded with pamphlets and posters instructing patients and anxious mothers in the art of escaping a bout. You might think that the waiting area generic reading material is rarely ever paid heed to.

But the real story is somewhat different. Research conducted by Ward and Hawthorne in 1994 showed that 82% of individuals noticed posters in the waiting area. And 92% of them actually went ahead and read the content.

You might argue that 2017 isn’t 1994. But then again affordable augmented reality (AR/VR) isn’t your average poster either. As times are changing, it is important to up the education game in waiting rooms to reach the busy mindspace of patients.

Virtual Reality and medicine are no strangers. VR is already assisting doctors by simulating difficult surgery conditions, treating stroke patients and reducing anxiety in phobia victims.

In the waiting room headgear can be offered to those who are willing to sit through small 3D demonstrations of the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) procedure and the Heinrich maneuver. They can also be nurtured with information pertaining to sensitive topics like diligence in yearly C12 marker tests and pap smears that proves to be game changing for the patients but doesn’t leave much of an impact through a block of text on a thin pamphlet.

Virtual Reality is immersive. Users are involved in what is happening with more of their senses than reading can ever command. And this drives retention.

If your patients can remember a random fact that forces them to re-think the way they approach their well being under extenuating circumstances, then the hours spent waiting for the doctor may turn out to be more valuable than a dozen visits down the line.

Knowing the Ones Who May Balk

People think nothing of playing “doctor” when it comes to moderating the dose of medicines like antibiotics. If they feel better, they might as well not complete the course. This is a threat to both them and the people around them because the bacteria can actually develop resistance to the drug!

The same can be said about mental health care. Reluctant patients give up on their routine and quickly slide back into old habits strengthening their belief that they are incapable of improving.

Thanks to the rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) network, lapsed medication practices may be a thing of the past. And the first step is laid in the waiting room.

Clinics can use the time to conduct exhaustive “tendency” surveys that use probing questions to determine the habits of patients. Those who have disregarded doctor’s orders in the past are likely to do so again.

Such potential deserters may be regularly reminded of the benefits of continuing medication through a series of well prepared, educational emails sent out over the entire cycle of the treatment. If the patient suffers from a chronic disease, he or she can also be issued fitness bands that alert them to purchase medicines, schedule appointments with the doctor and even call an ambulance on auto-dial if the heartbeat or the pressure crosses a critical limit.

Sensors in daily use medical equipment like blood sugar monitors send data discreetly and safely to the attending physician helping them guide the patient to remedial measures if the numbers spike or come in for regular check ups if everything is normal.

In short, the waiting room is a perfect place to forge a deep and lasting relationship with patients, cutting down emergency visits and caring for them in a way that goes beyond marketing gimmicks.

Reducing Waiting Room Stress

Would you feel comfortable and relaxed if you had to suffer 60 minutes of stiff back next to a person who is suffering from acute nausea and dry retching?

Would you walk into the chamber with a positive impression of the caregiver? Even though there is no apparent relationship between the illness of a fellow patient who hasn’t seen the doctor yet and the physician’s competence, the human mind is far from logical.

The waiting room is where your patients spend 53% of their time and that is what sets the tone of their interactions with you.

Waiting area stress is a very real thing. And if this menace is mitigated, people will be more amenable, attentive and responsive resulting in better diagnosis and speedier recovery.

Stress comes from a number of things and they can all be handled relatively easily:

The stress of being in an alien space. This is particularly true for those who have a nervous disposition. There is no reason to go with the age old decor of steel chairs, the large blaring television set and the impersonal white desk. Instead invest in a cafe-like surrounding with clusters of comfortable chairs, potted plants (which are proven to improve health) and individual tables where those with office work can charge their devices and continue making progress on their deliverables. Bring familiarity to the waiting space and see the difference in the temperament of the patients.

The stress of handling fussy children. Children do not take kindly to spending time cooped up in a dismal room. They are bound to throw tantrums. To placate these demanding patients, use Virtual Reality based games that engage them in group play without risky props or toys that not only make a mess but also result in scrapes and falls.

The stress of doing nothing. An hour or even two staring at a mobile device while contemplating a grim diagnosis is not a cheerful proposition. Most patients feel out of sorts in waiting rooms because they have nothing to do! To solve this problem clinics are encouraging patients to purchase items related to their physicians’ speciality right from the waiting area. Dermatologists offer a wide range of products to care for the skin and people can peruse these items instead of brooding over the “What Ifs”.

The stress of feeling alone or unsupported. Illness is discomfort. And often it also brings loneliness. Patients in waiting rooms may be going through a period of helplessness. The presence of a patient care executive who chats with them, fills out the forms, intimates them of possible delays and gives them a small measure of reassurance can mean a lot to these individuals and will go a long way in busting needless stress.

Curing a patient calls for empathy. Healthcare service providers can leverage the waiting area and queue time to equip their patients with the knowledge to care for themselves, know their tendencies and relate to them in a real and human way for a holistic treatment experience that isn’t restricted to prescription drugs.

About EyeClick

EyeClick is a world leader in interactive technology and the creator of BEAM and Obie - award-winning gaming solutions for both children and adults. EyeClick’s user-friendly technology and engaging interactive games provide unique and memorable interactive entertainment in over 15,000 locations worldwide, including McDonald’s, Marriott, NASA, and IKEA.

With just an EyeClick interactive projector and some motivated players, you can instantly turn any floor, wall, or table top into an immersive, active, and highly social experience.

EyeClick’s Healthcare solution treats your patients to an engaging and hygienic form of play, ensuring that they never miss another appointment.