By Mike Plotnick for Healthcare Facilities Today

A woman named Val, speaking via video from a 42-inch interactive touchscreen kiosk in the lobby and a dozen other locations, greets visitors to the Wilmington VA Medical Center in Delaware. An alternative to the center’s standard information desks, the system provides a convenient access point for patients and visitors to learn about the hospital and how to reach their chosen destinations.  

“The hospital wanted to use a human – instead of an avatar – to create a personal connection with users coming into the facility,” says Mike Drozda, chief operating officer of LogicJunction, the company that developed the technology. 

The kiosk is part of a Web-based mapping system delivered via a responsive website that automatically scales the maps to the specific device or platform used. 

“Downloading a native app requires additional time, and unless someone is a frequent visitor, they probably won’t take the time to do it,” says Drozda. “You can get a very rich experience just using the Web browser on your phone.”

Like other systems, the dynamic mapping system can be updated in real-time to reroute visitors through the facility based on construction projects and other developments that affect facility access.

“A hospital is a dynamic environment, and static signage becomes out of date fairly quickly,” Drozda says. “But the building signs reassure you that you’re heading in the right direction to an appointment.” 

The system includes QR code interactivity, enabling facility managers to position posters in strategically located places where visitors tend to get lost or confused. Scanning the QR code on the poster loads a mobile Web page that instantly knows where the person is located and delivers step-by-step walking directions to their desired destination.

Drozda says facilities teams are vital components for enhancing the system’s effectiveness. “Facilities (teams) are the ones who know where people are getting lost, where the congestion is, or where elevator maintenance is happening,” he says.

Getting started

Because interactive wayfinding may be a new concept to many facility managers, Green suggests they conduct some research before moving forward with implementing a system in their location. 

“I recommend getting a basic understanding of the available options, then doing an internal needs analysis where they survey the staff, information desk employees and visitors to understand the pain points,” he says. “Another option is to hire an independent wayfinding consultant to conduct the analysis.”