5 Benefits of Patient Education Systems for Hospitals

1. Enable patients to take control of their healthcare

Patient education systems for hospitals allow patients to monitor aspects of their healthcare journey, giving them the freedom to take control of their situation. This means they no longer need to rely on staff to provide guidance.

Patients can access information about their medication, treatment and diagnosis on their devices and view educational videos to further their knowledge and feel more at ease.

Having the option to access this information on either a personal device, loaned device or Bedside Unit (BSU) tackles the barrier of digital inclusivity. Everyone has access to the appropriate system.

2. Reduce patient confusion

Being in a hospital can cause anxiety for many patients, and often, the reason for being hospitalised is unclear.

Endless tests paired with multiple doctors and nurses discussing various situations can confuse patients. A patient education system provides relevant information regarding their healthcare, such as clinician notes, videos and articles that clarify their diagnosis.

We partner with Patients Know Best, a social enterprise and technology platform designed to help health and social care providers bring together patient data, along with the patient’s own data into a patient-held, personal health record.

Patient education systems have a user-friendly home screen. One such system is SPARK Media®.  It’s available on Bedside Units(BSU) and patient own devices. On the BSU homepage, it provides useful information such as the current date, time and weather, helping patients with dementia stay oriented and informed.

Combining all of this into one patient education system allows patients to take control of their situation, reducing confusion and improving their mood. As a result, it makes for a more positive hospital experience.

3. Improve the patient experience

Another critical benefit of hospital education systems is that having a library of essential information can significantly improve the patient experience. Patients using an education system stay in the loop and know what to expect, meaning their hospital stay isn’t stressful.

Happiness is proven to speed up recovery, so an education system can result in more upbeat, happier patients, making for shorter hospital stays during a time when bed shortages are a constant concern.

With a patient education system, patients also get access to a variety of entertainment, such as TV and radio channels, magazines and brain-stimulating puzzle games.

Having this on-demand dramatically improves patient comfort and happiness, aiding a speedier recovery.

4. Streamline hospital services

Implementing a patient education system can allow hospitals to streamline services such as digital meal ordering, conveniently allowing patients to order their meals at a time that suits them. This is something we are working with our Trusts to make a reality.

Displaying digital menus with extensive nutritional information ensures that each patient chooses a meal that suits their needs. For the hospital, this means reducing food and paper waste, as well as staff time savings. The NHS can then distribute the money saved into other areas of the organisation.

On the other side, Trusts can streamline patient communications by signposting wait times, relevant treatment and wards, reducing bed-blocking by digitising the discharge process. These small details can help relieve NHS pressures and be implemented onto existing infrastructure on wards. 

5. Focus on high-priority tasks

When patients require help, there’s no guarantee a nurse is instantly available as they have many other responsibilities. These regular and possibly low-priority requests pile up and stop doctors and nurses from focusing on high-priority tasks.

Advanced patient education systems allow patients to submit requests digitally through their bedside or personal devices. This allows patients to get everyday needs like extra pillows or water quickly and conveniently. This frees up nurses and doctors to focus on critical medical care and complex patient issues, while delegating simpler requests to other team members.

This allows the NHS team to prioritise their time more efficiently without impacting the patient experience.

How to provide effective patient education

To enhance patient education in your Trust, you need to do more than assume a patient will know how to use a new electronic system and immediately become responsible for their health. 

While the system is comprehensive and easy to understand, there are ways you can provide effective patient education alongside this technology:

• Determine the learning style: Don’t leave the patient to navigate the 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. 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.
• Promote family engagement: 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.

How SPARK TSL can help your Trust and patients

At SPARK TSL, we’re committed to improving the patient experience by putting patients in control.

If you want to improve your healthcare facility’s patient experience, SPARK Media® can make it happen.

Using SPARK Connect® to provide access to the internet, SPARK Media® provides easy access to games, TV, radio, digital magazines, lifestyle apps and more. Patients can also access healthcare information such as information about the hospital, healthcare videos & NHS resources.

Additionally, SPARK Fusion® is our bedside infotainment solution designed to revolutionise the NHS. This provides the same entertainment functionality of SPARK Media® with additional mutual benefits for patients and staff, such as instant messaging, meal ordering, room control and more. Plus, the SPARK Fusion® bedside tablets can also be customised down to ward-level, so patients get access to the most relevant educational resources tailored towards their personal circumstances.

For insights into these features and how you’ll benefit from using them, download our latest product brochure.