Entertain and Educate Dialysis Patients
Posted on Thu, Jun 17, 2010
Many healthcare providers have long worried how to best entertain and educate their dialysis patients. There are new options available using the dialysis clinics' patient televisions.
Patient Entertainment
Dialysis staff and volunteers have used traditional methods to entertain patients, such as providing TV channels, puzzles, books, magazines, playing cards, and even knitting materials. There are more options, however, with the patient television. Many televisions, such as HCI's BedMate Televisions, have built-in DVD players and inputs to connect gaming systems, iPods, or other devices. They can also provide video on demand (by accessing libraries of movies) and the internet.
Patient Education
Patients can also view educational content relevant to their conditions using the dialysis center's televisions. Although traditional methods of staff consultation and printed material should not be abandoned, patient education can be reinforced through the use of educational videos. Dialysis patients can watch videos about diabetes, chronic kidney disease, anemia, nutrition, and more. Patients can also be given condition and treatment fact sheets, which can be sourced from companies like ExitCare. Educational material can be stored digitally in a central location and networked to patient televisions if using internet protocol televisions. Patients view educational material right from the television while they receive dialysis.
Some of the best real estate in both patient rooms and dialysis clinic chairs are the patient televisions. Utilizing them for both patient entertainment and education can lead to more informed, happier patients.
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