Top 10 Content Ideas for Healthcare Digital Signage

Digital signage can make a huge difference in healthcare facilities, but the success lies in the content. To capture the full ROI of your digital displays, your hospital or medical facility needs to be displaying the right messaging.

We’ve compiled the top 10 pieces of content that healthcare businesses should be using on their digital displays. Check out our post on the 10 Best Locations for Healthcare Digital Signage.

Emergency Room Wait Time

One of the biggest questions your emergency patients may have is, “How long is the wait in the ER?” You can easily provide that answer by displaying wait times on your outdoor digital signs as well as on any internal ones within the emergency department.

This can be done in two ways. An employee in the emergency department can manually update the times, or you can use data integration to pull live triage metrics from your Electronic Health Records system to a cloud-based Digital Signage Content Management System.

Wayfinding & Maps

For hospitals and healthcare facilities that are part of a large campus, providing wayfinding and directional information to patients and visitors can be key.

Are there certain locations on the campus where guests tend to get confused? Are there high-traffic areas like the emergency room or visitor check-in that you want to highlight? Create interactive maps, directionals, and any other wayfinding information you think will benefit those navigating the campus.

Entertainment for Waiting Rooms

Even if you’re providing estimated wait times, it is still good practice to use your waiting room digital signs to entertain. Doing so often reduces the perceived wait time for patients.

Try including things like weather and traffic updates, health and wellness tips, soothing graphics or animations, and information about upcoming community health events. The key is to keep content varied and easy to absorb in short glances. And remember, visits to the emergency room can be incredibly stressful. Keep the content free of anything that could increase anxiety, like heavy news or overly clinical information.

Recruitment Efforts

The healthcare sector is facing a severe and persistent job shortage, but your digital signage can help combat that scarcity.

Have positions to fill? Create “we’re hiring” messages to target any visitors who may be looking for a job in healthcare. Expand your audience reach by also including hiring messages on any roadside exterior digital signs so that passersby can see the information as well.

Awards & Testimonials

Patients and visitors want to feel like they’re in good hands when they visit your hospital or medical facility. Use your digital signs to inspire that trust.

Has your hospital won any awards? Rotate information about facility accolades and news on your screens.

Highlighting specific providers with profiles can also go a long way in building familiarity and trust.

Finally, add in customer testimonials. People trust the opinions of their peers, and seeing a glowing recommendation from a fellow community member can help to inspire confidence that they made the right choice.

FAQs

Guests and patients—especially first-time visitors—likely have a lot of questions about your facility:

• Do I have to wear a mask?
• When are visiting hours?
• Where do I pay for parking?

Come up with a list of the most frequently asked questions and add the answers to your content line-up. This not only provides patients with answers, but also frees your staff from having to answer repetitive questions.

Seasonal & Preventive Health Campaigns

Is it flu shot season? American Heart Month? Are parents bringing in kids for back-to-school physicals?

Keep your patients updated with timely information about things like immunizations, tips for staying healthy, health causes currently in the spotlight, and more. This type of content positions you as a community resource and educator.  

New Services & Products

Don’t forget that at its heart, your digital signage is a way to advertise and promote awareness of your healthcare facility. When someone in the area needs care, you want your facility to be top-of-mind.

Smaller, specialized medical facilities like dental offices, dermatologists, etc. are especially well positioned to advertise new products or services. Creating advertising content for elective services, like Botox at a dermatologist or Invisalign at an orthodontist, could be especially useful.

Donor Recognition

Acknowledging major donors or fundraising campaigns builds community goodwill and is especially relevant for nonprofit health systems. Rotating recognition content — named gifts, campaign milestones, foundation spotlights, or a simple thank-you to annual fund contributors — keeps donor appreciation visible without the expense of engraved plaques or printed materials.

Parking & Transportation Updates

Large hospital campuses with multiple lots may find value in using digital signage to keep visitors and patients notified about lot closures, shuttle schedules, valet instructions, parking payment, or construction detours. This content should run on exterior displays and could be looped on interior displays in welcome areas as well.

In need of a new digital display? Contact Optec Displays today for a quote at 800-876-1668.