It's safe to say that hospitals are modern mazes that confuse and frustrate its patients and visitors. The common response is to develop extensive route information. These descriptions contain a large amount of information, resulting in patients still relying on hospital staff to navigate to their destination. This begs the question: what if we made sure people can navigate themselves?

Way finding

There's a word for that: way finding. The Wall Street Journal devoted attention to it a while ago. It's clear that we are dealing with quite an issue.

Hospital buildings contain confusing and messy signs with difficult medical lingo that without doubt contribute to uncomfortable feelings of patients. The Wall Street Journal analyses that "some hospitals are placing prominent landmarks along routes to assure people they are on the right track." Hospitals use methods to give wards sensible names that Joe Mainstreet understands. Using colors and objects is an effective method, certainly.

"Go by hepatobiliary surgery and turn left at the lymphangioleiomyomatosis clinic," is not quite so comprehensible as "walk through the blue hallway and turn left at the fountain."

Self-service in navigating

Unfortunately, that's not all that's necessary. Why? The patient and visitor still rely on hospital staff to find their way.

And precisely that aspect should be in control of the patient. Hospitality means that patients are able to navigate on their own. Logis.P took on that challenge and introduced an app that navigates within the hospital. This way finding app is an addition to our existing way finding solutions.

The app generates the optimal route to the location of the patient's appointment and how long it takes to get to one's destination. Let's call it an indoor Garmin. The app prevents that the patient spends more time in the waiting room than necessary. Coffee corners, shops and other hospital wards are also integrated in the navigation.

The navigation is an example of how Logis.P expands its solutions to integrate patients' self-service in hospitals. The app offers patients to check-in themselves and contains a constant information tool that keeps patients up-to-date on delays. Combined with clear navigation this results in less crowded waitingrooms with stress-free patients.

Modern way finding is making small steps within hospitals. Logis.P takes the large leap and enables the patients to find  its own way. This patient-centered approach ends wandering, irritation and confusion.