The Role of Patient Entertainment Systems for Improving Patient Experience

Patient experience and patient entertainment systems are two commonly talked-about topics within healthcare. But how are they related? Does hospital entertainment play a role in patient experience? And how has the provision of hospital entertainment changed to offer more than just a singular benefit to the hospital population?

In this blog, we discuss:

1. Patient experience isn't about entertainment — but it can help
2. Using patient entertainment systems for more
3. Making vital healthcare technology available for all

Patient experience isn’t about entertainment — but it can help 

Contrary to popular belief, patient experience isn’t about entertaining those admitted to the hospital but is instead centred around engaging individuals in their healthcare plan and increasing their understanding of care.

Watching your favourite TV show may help increase your morale and lessen feelings of isolation, but that’s about as far as entertainment feeds into experience in its traditional sense.

That said, in some specific cases, such as in patients with dementia, entertainment can provide stimulation and improve healthcare outcomes. 

With this knowledge, patient entertainment systems may seem redundant in the patient experience conversation. 

Yet, with features and functionalities such as linking to medical information and advice, patient entertainment apps aim to accelerate recovery and reduce readmission rates, improving the patient experience as a whole.

These applications do more than connect patients with films, radio, games and other entertainment-based apps. Patients can access important health documentation, watch explainer videos and engage in healthcare questionnaires or surveys. 

Overall, the offering of patient entertainment systems is more holistic and ever more aligned with the objectives of health professionals.

Using patient entertainment systems for more

Patient entertainment systems may have entered the market with a heavy focus on distraction — providing patients with some much-needed escapism through access to their favourite media outlets.

But as these systems and apps progress, they encourage patients to be present and engaged in their health journey while retaining their traditional features.

Patient education

We’ve long known that education is an integral part of improving the patient experience. Research in 2023 showed that 40.4% of those included in the review reported changes in health outcomes following educational interventions through the patient portal.

Through pre-recorded footage that patients can watch at their own pace, those staying in hospital can improve their healthcare outcomes by absorbing and digesting expert information from their bedside.

Physicians may still need to be available to answer specific follow-up questions. Yet, this method is proving effective and, in some cases, superior to in-person teaching, given the ability to replay, pause, use subtitles and learn without fear of being judged.

Patient education platforms became a prevalent necessity during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when all healthcare staff wore face coverings and in-person communication suffered.

With patients becoming more involved in their care, a new form of patient education is vital, not just as a crisis response but also to change the face of patient understanding.

Patient engagement

Engagement also plays a pivotal role in patient experience, ensuring patients get what they need from their hospital stay, including primary care and the tools to self-manage their condition when discharged.

Although patients may engage in light entertainment throughout their stay — and benefit from it as a result — the typical stay should include more actively engaged activities such as conversing with healthcare staff, making plans for the immediate future and providing feedback on the provision of care.

Feedback surveys are good metrics of patient engagement and provide insights crucial to improving patient experience. Surveys are a virtuous circle, instantly enhancing the patient experience for the respondent while enriching the experience of others via thoughtful, honest feedback.

One way to increase uptake and make surveys more inclusive is through digital surveys where patients can answer at their convenience, using translation, dictation and other accessibility tools.

Providing patients with a satisfaction survey via an application on their device will likely improve uptake. Patients can feel comfortable completing the survey on a device they trust and with an interface they’re familiar with.

Making vital healthcare technology accessible for all

Patient entertainment systems have more value than distracting patients with media outlets. Yet, this can benefit wards with stretched schedules and little tolerance for non-urgent requests.

Patient entertainment systems can also positively contribute to patient experience, aiding understanding and engagement.

Learn more about what solutions can bring this vital healthcare technology to the masses while making bedside terminals free for everyone to use.