Delivering better care at lower costs is the primary focus for the Steward Health Care System. Part of the solution is an investment in an HDTV system that is enabling a superior patient experience with quality entertainment that patients appreciate.

Steward Health Care System partnered with TeleHealth Services, a provider of hospital televisions and interactive patient engagement solutions, to elevate the entertainment experience across the entire integrated delivery network to promote a more home-like environment in all of its hospital facilities. 

“Patients look for amenities that provide the comforts of their home while away from home,” says Scott Kenyon, vice president of environmental management, corporate real estate and facilities at Steward. “We have created a patient experience that demonstrates our commitment to enhance our member hospitals in the digital world by aligning the patient entertainment amenities with a consumer offering to improve overall patient satisfaction.” 

Since 2010, Steward has invested more than $850 million in its integrated care system to improve the quality of care and augment the patient experience. Upgrading technology as part of the solution is making a difference. Earlier this year, Steward announced that it generated $30 million in savings in the Medicare Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) program in the first three years of the program. The hospital is on the leading edge of making the ACO model work in Massachusetts by delivering better care at lower costs, and making sure the patient experience is convenient and comfortable.

“Improving patient satisfaction in this time of healthcare reform is leading hospitals to adopt the same type of entertainment quality that is routinely found in the home,” said Matt Barker, vice president of marketing for TeleHealth Services. “While at home, people watch TV an average of six hours a day, and that increases to almost 11 hours each day when they are in the hospital. To a hospital patient, the hospital television offers distraction during a difficult time. It also presents hospitals a unique opportunity to engage and entertain patients. Steward Health has really embraced this idea and executed a great patient experience program.”

TeleHealth Services is delivering a flexible solution that addresses Steward hospitals’ current needs but also provides a foundation for expansion as demands change. The infrastructure is ready to support interactive patient engagement and education services, including on-demand video education that transforms televisions into a valuable clinical resource.

Steward has expanded its technological reach into the patient care environment. “Starting in their rooms, patients have the ability to access gaming consoles through the Samsung healthcare televisions and now we have introduced the ability for these patients to view their favorite TV shows and movies in high definition,” said Kenyon. “We are generating an exceptional patient experience that combines social media and HD television while fostering a new brand image for the hospital. This offering allows our patients an escape from the reason they are in the hospital.”

For more information on TeleHealth, call 800-733-8610, or visit at http://www.telehealth.com. Additional information is available at www.steward.org.