With advancements in the kinds of technology available to health care providers and patients, one of the most significant is Internet technology advancement for hospital patients. At one time, patients in the hospital had to bring their own laptops to access email and the Internet. Today, services are changing, not only for the patient but also for the community that relies on a hospital for health information.
Most community hospitals have some form of website, but patient and community satisfaction increases when that site includes a portal to health information. Whether used inside the facility or when searching from home, this kind of technology allows patients to search for answers to vital questions via the Internet.
Other features within the system include interactive television where the patient can access the web via the television in their room. The program’s connectivity is windows based, so it is simple to navigate. Even hospital staff can utilize it to access other windows based programs to find necessary information to serve their patients.
From a service level, this advancement in Internet technology gives the patients a more homelike stay and therefore increases patient satisfaction. Other interactive features within this new technology are cable television, access to the dietary menu and real time customer feedback.
For the community at large, those using this technology can access patient education programs from their home computers. As a cost saving tool, this type of service can reduce doctor visits, improve preventative medicine and increase overall community satisfaction. By directing a hospital’s community to its own web portal, there can also be a reduction in misinformation that often comes with searching the Internet for disease information and cures. Hospitals planning to implement this technology should make it a priority to conduct diligent marketing to encourage people in the community to find the correct answers through their website.