HCI Healthcare Solutions Blog

Thin Client Computing in Hospitals

  

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Thin Client computing is not new to hospitals.  In fact, it is estimated that 80% of hospitals have thin client farms.  However, thin clients traditionally have not been used to deliver programs to patient rooms.  With today's technology, it is possible to provide this service to patient rooms via in the in-room television.  HCI Internet Protocol Televisions (IPTVs) have built-in thin client computing capabilities.  This means patients can receive a lot of functionality without any extra hardware in their hospital room.

How it Works
The HCI Thin Client is a program that runs on the TV that relies on a server computer, under control of the hospitals IT department, to do most of its work. The HCI thin client is part of a network, and the client software acts as an interface, while the network server computer does all the real work. The HCI thin client, when selected, connects to a more powerful network server, and the server computer provides the rest of the computing horsepower. The TV then acts like a monitor, keyboard and mouse of a stand alone computer.

The Patient Experience
Patients can easilty access thin client applications, such as the internet by pressing a button in the TV home screen with their pillow speaker or remote. The internet can be navigated using a keyboard/ mouse. Patients see all the data and tools they would on a stand-alone computer. They can:

• Browse the internet
• Play games
• Check e-mail
• Access the InnovaTV Patient Portal (IPP) if installed, which grants the ability to order movies on demand, purchase from the gift shop, send service requests, and more

Benefits of Using Thin Client

• Eliminates the need for PCs at each patient television, saving both time and money
• Patients can stay in touch with family and friends via the internet
• Hospitals can realize a higher ROI by utilizing less server hardware
• Single Point of administration means less headache for IT staff
• Thin Client devices outlast PCs because they have no moving parts or fans
• Increased security means less risk of viruses and data
• Lower power consumption means less electricity usage and heat generation
• Licensing is easier to manage from a central server

It has been said that the definition of an IT nightmare is hundreds of users on hundreds of different PCs.  Providing patients and visitors access to the internet and other popular computer applications can enhance the hospital experience.  The most efficient way to deliver this favorite application is through the use of a thin client network.

Learn more or download HCI's Thin Client brochure.