what you need to know digital signage 2011
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Asyouembarkontheoftencomplicatedtaskofdecidingwhichdigitalsignagesystemisbestforyourhealthcarefacility,youwillneedclearlydefinedobjectivesandalistofquestionsyouwantanswered.Ifyouarestrugglingineitherorbothoftheseareas,youaresurelynotalone.Thisguidewillhelpyounavigatethevastamountofinformationcurrentlyavailableondigitalsignagetohelpyoubettermeetyourcommunicationsobjectivesandfitwithinyourbudget.
Planning,budgeting,andimplementingdigitalsignagecanseemlikeanoverwhelmingendeavor,butyoudon’tneedtogoitalone.Yourfirstrequirementshouldbefindingavendorwhoisyourhealthcaredigitalsignage“partner”ineverysenseoftheword.Readon,andwe’lltellyouwhythisisacriticalfirststep.
To know…before you buy.
A Guide to Planning, Budgeting, and Implementing
Healthcare digital signage
What You Need to Know 2011
Ver5.11
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Internal communications and its impact on the patient experience
Digitalsignage,alsoknownasadigital-out-of-home(DOOH)system,israpidlybeinginterwovenintothecommunicationsfabricofhospitalsandotherhealthcarefacilitiesnationwide.Itisanintegralcomponentoftoday’spatientexperience.Digitalsignageimpactspatientsandtheirfamilies,employees,andphysicianswhenrelevant,audience-specificmessagingdirectlyconnectspatientstotheircaregivers.Suchaconnectionaffordshealthcareproviderstheopportunitytopositivelyimpactthetotalpatientexperiencebydrivingpeopletotakeaction.Digitalsignageoftenmeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople,butbasicallycomesdowntoacommunicationsplatformthatincludeshardware,software,uniqueapplications,content,branding,systemsinterfaces,etc.Thesecomponentsadduptoonesimpleobjective—providingmessagingwiththepowertochangebehaviorandsavelives.
Can a message really prevent harm or save a life? Or is this just marketing hype and wishful thinking?
Imagine…
Thereisapatientinyourhospitalwhoisatahighriskforfallsandthisinformationisdocumented inherElectronicHealthRecord.Yourpatient’stestresultsaredownloadeddirectlytoherbed, whichisthensetinthelowestpositiontoreduceherriskoffalling.Technologyispretty amazingandhelpful,butitisn’teverything.Herfallriskisstillthere,becauseifshedoesn’tget thecareandattentionsheneedsfromhercaregiver,shewilltrytodothingsherself.Technology stillcannotreplacetheinteractionbetweenpatientandcaregiver.
Eventhoughyourpatient’sbedisinthelowestsetting,shestillmayneedassistancewhengoingto therestroomortryingtogetpersonalitems.Sheislesslikelytoactindependentlywhenshe trustsstaffwillberoutinelycheckinginonher.(Thisiswhyhourlyroundingissoimportantand hasbeenshowntoimprovepatientsafetyandsatisfaction.)
Fortunately,adigitalsignagemonitorislocatedinthenursingunitwherenursesare remindedaboutthe4P’sofhourlyrounding.Messagesarevisuallyappealing,informative, andchangedfrequently.Relevantcommunicationsonthedigitalsignagemonitorreinforcethe careprocess,andbecausestaffisremindedofperformingtheirroundsontime,theyareable tominimizetheriskthatafallwillhappen.Employeesarealsoroutinelyrecognizedand theircontributionsacknowledgedonthemonitor.Asaresult,employeestakeprideintheir workwhentheyknowtheyarevalued.Effectiveemployeecommunicationsalsogiveyour patientconfidenceinyourstaffbecausesheknowsshecandependonthemtobetherewhen sheneedsthem.
Digitalsignageismorethanjustamonitoronthewall.Theimpactofvisuallyengagingmessages oneducation,safety,andqualityaspartofthetotalpatientexperiencecannotbeoverstated. Rapidlybecomingessentialmedia,therightdigitalsignagesystemhasthepowernotjusttoengage, buttotransform.
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Toimpactbehavior,audienceengagementisessential,requiringfreshandrelevantcontentthatissustainableoverthelongterm.Formaximumeffectiveness,digitalsignagecontentshouldtargeteachhealthcareaudienceuniquely,deliveringmessagesthatmakesenseforindividualsbasedonwheretheyarewaiting,working,eating,andcongregating.Messagescantargetaudiencesinnursingstations,pharmacies,outpatientwaitingareas,wellnesscenters,breakrooms,cafeterias,doctor’slounges,etc.andatoff-campuslocations,tonameafew.Contentshouldbeeducationalandinformative,engaging,plentiful,dynamic,andcurrent.Onlywhenyoucombinetheseelementsandpresenttheminvisuallycaptivatingdisplayscanyouensureasuccessfuldigitalsignageplatform.
Digitalsignagealsohasthepowertoelevateyourbrandandyourlevelofprofessionalism,differentiatingyoufromyourcompetitorsandalteringtheperceptionofthequalityofcareyouprovide.Yourbrandcomesfromtheinside—fromyourculture,leadership,vision,progress,services,andemployees.Therightdigitalsignage“partner”willunderstandthenuancesandimportanceofbrandinginhealthcareinordertoprovideasystemthatsupportsandintegratesyourbrandseamlesslyintoyourcommunicationsefforts.
Choosing the right digital signage partner
Itisimportanttoselectavendorwhoistrulyyourpartner.Asuccessfullong-termdigitalsignageinitiativeatyourhospitalorhealthcarefacilityrequiresyouhaveapartnerwhoisanextensionofyourownbusinessandhasthesamegoals.Withouttherightpartner,youcaneasilyfailbeforeyouevengetstarted.
Duringthevendorinterviewprocess,youmaywanttoconsiderthefollowing:
•Avendorisyourpartneriftheyunderstandyourinternalandexternalcommunicationschallengesandobjectives.
•Avendorisyourpartneriftheyhaveextensiveexperienceinhealthcare—withclienthospitals,casestudies,andtestimonialstosupportthisclaim—andunderstandyourbusinessis,firstandforemost,thatofpatientcare.
•Avendorisyourpartneriftheycansupplytechnologyandcontentandhaveasustainablecontentdevelopmentmodelthatisanintegralpartoftheirsoftwareandservice.
•Avendorisyourpartneriftheyareasvestedinyourlife-longsuccessandcommitmenttogrowthasintheirown!
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It’snotjustafailuretoplan.Thedemiseofdigitalsignagebeginswithvendorswhoonlycommunicatehowhospitalsaregoingtobesuccessfulandforgettocommunicatehowthismediumcanfail. RobertJ.Loeb,CEO,Vericom““
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Increasingly,hospitalsareundertakingdigitalsignageinitiativestheycannotsupportandsustain.Insuchcases,thefocusisprimarilyonhardware,technology,andsystemintegration.Theyquicklydiscoverthatwhiletechnologyisimportantandnecessary,itcannotexistinasilo.Asustainablecontentplatformmustworkintandemwithatechnologicalplatforminorderfordigitalsignagetobesuccessful.Youneedapartnerwhoknowsthisexperientially.Yoursuccesswilldependuponapartnerwhotakesthetimetounderstandyourcommunicationsobjectives,canassistwithcontentplanninganddevelopment,providesanextensivehealthcarecontentlibrary,workswithyoutoeducateinternalstakeholdersandgetbuy-inatalllevels,helpsyoumapoutnecessaryinternalresourcesandroles,andprovidesongoingsupport,workingcloselywithyouanddoingeverythingnecessarytoensureyoursuccess.
Gettherightpartner.Yoursuccessdependsonit.
Tokeepyourmessagefrontandcenteryouneedto...
Whatyouneedtoknow—anoverview
Asyouformulateyourdigitalsignagebudget,youwillneedtolookatstart-upandone-timefees,aswellasannualcosts.One-timecostscanoftenbefinanced,ifdesired.Asyoureviewthelistbelowofwhatisincludedindigitalsignage,pleasenotethatnotallvendorsprovidealloftheseservicesorcomponents,andmayrequireyoutousethirdpartysourcesaswell.
Elementsofadigitalsignageofferingmayincludethefollowing:
•Technicalsitesurvey(insomecasesmaybewaivedwithpurchase)
•High-definitionmonitors(one-timefee)
•Mediaplayers(one-timefee)
•Mediaplayersoftware(one-timepurchaseand/orannualfees)
•Mountingbrackets,cables,andotherinstallationhardware(one-timefees)
•Powerdrops,internetaccess,andinternalwiring(typicallyyourresponsibility)
•Installationandprojectmanagement(one-timefees)
•Contentmanagementsoftware(one-timepurchaseand/orannualfees)
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Findsoftwareandhardwarevendorsthatarewillingtositdownwiththehealthcarefacilityandtrytocomprehenditsmission. TravisKircher,DigitalSignageToday.com2010““
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•Otherhardware(isaserverrequiredtohostthesoftware?)
•Technicalsupportandmaintenance(annualfees;notallvendorsincludethisaspartoftheirservice)
•Specialdesignservices(toincorporateyouruniquebrandingelements)
•Contentcreation,management,andprogramming(whowill“own”it?)
•Specialapplications(what’sincluded?)
•Training(upfront,andasnewuserscomeonboard)
•Ongoingsupportandwarranties(manycompaniesarenowchargingdifferentfeesfordifferentsupportlevels.Notethatthesepricescanvaryextensively.)
Each of these areas will be specifically addressed in this document.
Technical Site Survey
Avendor-partnerwhowalksyourhallswithyouwillbeabletomakerecommendationsandassessyourmonitorlocationsfirsthand.Workingwithacompanywhounderstandshealthcareandthechallengespresentedbythephysicallayoutsofhealthcarefacilitieswillbetoyouradvantage.
Thetechnicalsitesurveywilltakeintoaccountyourcommunicationsobjectivesbasedonyouruniqueaudiences.Whoaretheseaudiences?Wherearetheywaiting,congregating,working,etc?Whataretheyaredoinginthepresenceofeachmonitor?Aneffectivesurveywillrequireassistancefrommarketing,IT,andfacilitiesdepartmentsandwillassessthefollowing:
•Identificationofappropriatemonitorlocationsdependingonviewingaudiences
•Appropriatemonitorsizeforeachlocation
•Propermountingandallotherhardwarerequired(e.g.videodistributionequipment)
•Mediaplayerlocation
•Internalwiring,internet,andpowerrequirements
•Targetaudiences,audiencesize,andtrafficpatternsateachlocation
•Desiredcontenttoplayonthemonitors(e.g.isaudiorequired?)
•Communicationsgoalsandobjectivesforeachaudienceateachlocation
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Thetechnicalsitesurveygivesyourvendoralltheinformationnecessarytoprovideadetailedpricequotationaswellasinstallation,setup,andcontentprogrammingrecommendations.Forplanningpurposes,figure1-3hoursofsurveytimeperbuilding.
Avendorwhoperformsthistypeofsurveywillunderstandandknowthelayoutofyourfacilityandwillbeabletomakerecommendationsandguideyouwithanynecessarychangesshouldyoudecidetoaddnewmonitorsorplayersorchangethelocationofmonitors.Avendorwhovisitsyourfacilitywillhaveamoresolidunderstandingofthefacilityinfrastructureandalsobeabletoofferbetterproductsupportlongterm.
Price range
Atechnicalsitesurveyisusuallychargedatanhourlyrate,soplanforapproximately$150-$175/hourplusanytravelrelatedexpenses.
Questionstoaskaboutthetechnicalsitesurvey:
1.Doyouprovideatechnicalsitesurveyaspartofyourserviceandisthereanadditionalcost?
2.Whatdoesthetechnicalsitesurveyentail,andwhatwillyoubelookingforduringthesurvey?
3.Whatisyourexperienceinsurveyinghealthcarefacilities?Doyoulookforelevatorandsurgerywalls,waterandoxygenlines,andotherimportantfactorsthatwillaffectthedrillingofwallsandinstallation?
4.Whatpersonneldoweneedtohavepresentduringthesurvey(e.g.IT,facilities,marketing,HR?)
5.Whatistheendresultofthetechnicalsitesurvey?(Youshouldreceiveadetailedwrittenreportincludingallpossiblelocationsandthecomponentsneededforeachlocation’sinstallation.Photosofeachlocationshouldbeincludedtoassistyouinmakingfinallocationdecisionsandassistwiththeinstallationprocess.Thisinformationwillbenecessaryinorderforyourvendortoprovideadetailedandaccuratepricequotationforyourentireproject.)
HARDWARE and SOFTWARE
High-definition (HD) monitors
Monitorsdisplayyourdigitalsignagemessages.Therearemanydecisionstomake,andyouwillneedtoconsidermonitortypeandsizeaccordingtoeachphysicallocation.Whataretheadvantages/disadvantagesofplasmaversusLCD,720por1080p?Itisimportanttoassesstheviewinghabitsofeachaudiencewhenconsideringlocation.Willthetextbelargeenoughona32”monitorifmostpeopleviewitfrom15feetawayorwoulda42”monitorbemoreappropriate?Thisinformationcanbeobtainedviaatechnicalsitesurveybyanexperiencedvendor,wheretheappropriatesizemonitorisdeterminedforeachlocation.Atechnicalsitesurveywillalsoexamineyourfacility’sexistinginfrastructuretodetermineifitisevenfeasibleformonitorstobeinstalledinyourdesiredlocations.Ifyoualreadyhavemonitors,thissurveycanhelpassessiftheyaresuitablefordigitalsignageuse.
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Which monitors are the best?
MonitorsareusuallyplasmaorLCDscreens.Inalmostallcases,youwillwanttopurchasecommercialhigh-definitionLCDmonitors.
Here’swhy:
•LCDtechnologyrequireslesspowertorun(lesspowerconsumption)andhasalifespanapproximately2timesthatofplasma.
•High-definitionmonitorsareclearerandeasiertoreadandview.Thishelpstomoreeffectivelyengageyouraudiences.
•Plasmatechnologymayhavea“burn-in”effectwhichcanpermanentlydisfigurethescreenwhenstaticcontentiscontinuouslyplayed.
•Phosphorsinplasmascreensloseluminosityovertime,resultinginagradualdeclineofabsoluteimagebrightness.
•LCDmonitorsweighlessthanplasmaandtubemonitors.
•LCDmonitorpricesarecompetitivelypriced.
•LCDmonitorsareavailableinlargersizes,including65”orlarger.
Note: Be aware that continual technological advances and price decreases may soon make other technologies viable alternatives as well.
Commercial versus consumer models
BesuretouseONLYcommercialgrademonitors.Insomecases,thesemonitorsmaybecomparableinpricetoconsumermodels,buttheyaredesignedfor24/7useindigitalsignageapplicationsandtypicallycomewithmulti-yearon-sitewarranties.Purchasingcheapmonitorsinordertosavealittlemoneyupfrontmaybackfireinthelongrunandmayalsoleadtoincreasedconsumermodelcostsforvideodistributionhardware.
Speakers
Somemonitormodelscomewithpre-attachedspeakerswhileothershaveoptionalspeakers.Ifyouareconsideringaudioforyourdigitalsignageplatform,takeintoaccountthetypeofcontentbeingplayed,thelocation,ambientnoise,andcompetingaudiosourceslikeoverheadmusic,announcements,andbroadcastTV.Also,consideremployeeswhomaybeworkinginagivenarea.Iftheaudioisa20-minuteloop,theywillhearthesamething24timesinan8-hourshift.
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Price range
Pricevariesconsiderablyformonitorsanddependsonsize,brand,andresolution.AsofJanuary2011,monitorpricescanrangefrombelow$700fora32”toover$7,000fora65”high-definitionLCDcommercialgrademonitor.Monitorpricestypicallydecreaseovertimeforagiventechnology.
Questionstoaskaboutmonitors:
1.Doyouusecommercialorconsumermodels?
2.Whatmanufacturers’brandsdoyouuse?
3.Isthereawarrantyincluded,orofferedseparately,andwhatkindisit?
4.Arespeakersincludedordotheyneedtobeadded,ifdesired?
5.Willyouperformmonitorinstallationforus?
Media players
Amediaplayerisadevicethatplayscontent(consistingofgraphics,images,animations,liveorrecordedvideo,and/ortext)anddeliversittooneormoremonitors.Thenumberofplayersrequiredisdeterminedbythemonitorlocationsandthetypeofcontentdeliveredtoeachmonitor,aswellasthevendor’stechnology.Differentcontentprogramswillneeddifferentplayers.
Inmanycases,onemediaplayercansupportmultiplemonitorlocationsiflocationsarephysicallyproximaltoeachotherandplayidenticalcontent.Withclosedcircuittelevision(CCTV),onlyoneplayerwouldberequiredtostreamidenticalcontenttoallmonitorsinpatientrooms.Theactualconfigurationcanonlybedeterminedbyatechnicalsitesurvey.
Thetechnologyusedbysomevendorsrequiresoneplayerpermonitor.Forexample,somevendorsprovideaplayerthatisintegratedwithinamonitor.Thistypeoftechnologytypicallyinvolvesincreasedup-frontequipmentcostsbecauseoftheone-to-oneconnection.(Amonitorwithanintegratedplayerwillbemoreexpensivethananequivalentoff-the-shelfcommercialmonitorwhichwoulduseaseparateplayerandpotentiallyshareitwithmultiplemonitors.)
Software
Mediaplayersoftwaremaybepricedseparatelyfromtheplayerhardware.Thereissoftwarethatisloadedonthemediaplayerandthereiscontentmanagementsoftwarethatcontrolstheplayers.Contentmanagementsoftwareistypicallyeitherweb-based(SaaSmodel,seeboxonnextpage)orloadedandmaintainedonyourserver.Importantthingstoconsiderwithsoftwarearethesystemrequirements,whowillmaintainit,andhowyouwillreceivesoftwareupdates.Makesureanypricequotesyoureceiveincludetechnicalsupportforyoursystem.
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Security
SecuritywillbeforemostonthemindsofyourITNetworkSecuritydepartments.Doyouknowwhattypeofsecurityisavailable?
Questionstoaskregardingsoftware:
1.Aretherevaryinglevelsofcontrolsandsecurityinthesoftware?
2.Howwillthesoftwareanddigitalsignagesystemimpactoursystemsandnetwork?
3.Whataboutsocialsharing–isthereanysocialhierarchyorsharingacrossandwithintheorganization?Doesthesystemallowforthistypeofsharing?
Price range
Whenresearchingmediaplayerpricing,pleasemakesureyouknowthedifferencebetweentheplayerandtheplayer“system.”Besuretoaskwhethertheplayersystemincludesthesoftwarelicensenecessarytoruntheprogramanddeliverthecontenttomonitors.Playerhardwareusuallyrangesfrom$1,200to$3,200andaplayer“system”includinglicensingcanraisethisone-timefee.Manycompanieschargeanannualormonthlyusageorsubscriptionfeeforsoftwarethatisseparatefromone-timehardwareandsoftwarecosts.
What you need to know
SaaSsoftware(“Softwareasaservice”)Subscription-basedsoftwarewhereavendorlicensesanapplication
forclientstouseasaserviceondemand
Benefits:
•Remotelyhostednetwork-noinvestmentinservers(anotherwiseexpensiveundertaking)
•Newfeaturesupdatedbyvendor–clientdoesnotneedtodoanything
•Accesssoftwarefromanylocationviaabrowser
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Questionstoaskaboutmediaplayers,systems,andsoftware:
1.Isthepricequotedjustfortheplayerhardwarealone,orisitfortheplayersystem,includingallsoftwarelicensingandwarranties?What’sincludedintheprice?Whatitemscostextra?
2.Doestheplayersystemincludeaccesstoanyexistinghealthcarecontentorcontentlibrary?Whataretheannualfeesforcontentandwhatdothesefeesinclude?
3.Doyouhavetheproperlicensingtolegallydisplayalloftheformatssupportedbyyourplayer,andallofthecontentinyourlibrary?
4.Howmanymonitorscanrunoffasingleplayer?Arethereanylimitationswithregardtodistancebetweenamonitorandplayer?
5.Doestheplayersystemdeliverhigh-definitioncontent?Isthecontentresolutioninhigh-definition?
6.Istheplayercapableofplayingavarietyofcontenttypes,includingrecordedandlivestreamingvideo,graphicmessages,andanimations?
7.CanIuploadmyowncontentthatIhavecreatedforothermedia?Whatformatsarecompatible?
8.Isthesoftwareweb-basedordoesitrequireustomaintainitonadditionalequipment?
9.CanImakechangeswhenIamnotintheoffice?
INSTALLATION and PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Installation hardware
Monitormountssecuredigitalsignagemonitorstowalls,ceilings,columns,orotherlocations.Thereisawiderangeinthepriceofmounts,asthemountsizeandtypearedependentonthemonitorsizeandlocation.Inthemajorityofcases,itwillbemost“space-effective”tomountamonitortothewallorceiling,versustakingupvaluablefloorspacewithafreestandingdigitaldisplay(i.e.somekindofcabinet).Amountforawallcanbeflatorhavetilt/swingingoptions.Incertainlocations,itisnecessarytouseaceilingpolemountoraswing-armmount.Atechnicalsitesurveycandeterminemountrequirements.
Pleasebeawareofotheritemsyoumayrequirethatyouwillwanttomakesureareincludedinyourpricequotation.Theseitemscanincludeplayermounts,monitormounts,cables/wiring,videodistributionequipment(transmitters,receivers,andsplitters),andphysicalsecuritylocks.Thedistancesfromamonitortotheplayercanaffectthecostofthisequipment.Onlyatechnicalsitesurveycandeterminewhatequipmentisrequiredsoyoucanobtainanaccuratepricequote.
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Price range
Dependingonthemonitorsizeandlocation,wallmountsalonecanrangefromlessthan$200to$1,000ormore.Installationequipmentcancost$400to$1,200,andpossiblymore,foreachmonitor.Thiscostshouldcovermounting,cabling,videodistributionhardware(splitters,transmitters,andreceivers)andmiscellaneoushardware,suchaslocks.YouwillalsotypicallyneedtoprovideyourownCat5wiring/cabling,ifneeded.
Questionstoaskaboutinstallationhardware:
1.Whatotherhardwareisrequiredtorunthissystem?
2.Whathardwareismyfacilityresponsibleforproviding(versusthevendor’sresponsibility?)
3.HowdoIdeterminewhattypeofmonitormountsIneed?
4.Areyouabletoinstallmonitorsonbrickorcementwalls?
5.Doesthecostofinstallationincreaseifthedistancebetweenthemediaplayerandthemonitorincreases?
Installation
Properdigitalsignageinstallationrequiresathoroughtechnicalsitesurvey.Onlyatechnicalsitesurveycanaccuratelyestimateinstallationtime.Aroughapproximationwouldbebetween2-3hourspermonitor,and3-4hoursperplayerincludingcabling,playerinstallation,testing,projectmanagement,andmaterialstracking.Ifthereareanyspecialrequestssuchasputtingmonitorsinelevators,thetechnicalsitesurveywilldeterminehowmuchmoretimethesespecialoruniqueinstallationscouldtake,alongwithanyspecialequipmentrequirements.Ifyourvendordoesnotperformtheinstallations,andusesathirdparty,youwillwanttofindouthowcloselyyourvendormonitorstheirworkandwhoyouwillneedtogotoifthereareanyproblems.Notealsothatyourvendorwillmostlikelyrequireassistancefromyourfacilityservicesdepartmentinsurveying,planning,andperformingtheactualinstallation.Yourvendorwillnotwanttoputanyholesinyourwallswithoutobtainingyourpermissionfirst.Typically,yourfacilitiesorITdepartmentwillberesponsibleforprovidingelectricaloutlets,internetaccess,andanyrequiredinternalwiring(e.g.Cat5.)
Price range
Planforinstallationfeesrangingfrom$130to$190perpersonperhour.
Questionstoaskaboutinstallation:
1.Doesyourcompanyperformtheinstallationsordoyouuse3rdpartyinstallers?Ifso,willIneedtohaveanycontactwiththis3rdpartyorwillyouhandleallofmyquestionsandproblemsdirectly?
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2.WillyoumanagetheprojectordoIneedto?
3.Howmuchtimeisrequiredofmyfacilityservicesdepartmentinassistingwithinstallations?
4.Whatworkareweresponsibleforandexpectedtohavecompletedbeforeyouarrivetoinstallequipment?Whatdirections/specificationswillyouprovide?
5.Doyourinstallerslookforwaterandoxygenlinesbeforedrilling?Dotheyunderstandtheuniquenessofhealthcarefacilitieswhereroomsarebackeduptootherroomsthatmayhaveuniquefeatureslikethese?
6.Doyourinstallersknowaboutinfectioncontrolanddustcontrolstandards?(Note:Youshouldnothavetoteachyourvendor/installersabouttheimportanceofunderstandingthesetypesofhealthcarecomplianceissues)
Project management
Healthcaredigitalsignageisaverylargeundertaking,anditisimportantyouworkwithavendorwhoisvestedinyoursuccessandwhoalsounderstandstheopportunitiesalongthewaywherethisprojectcanfail.Therightplanning,organization,andpartnershipbetweenyourfacilityandvendorwillofferyouthebestchanceofmeetingandexceedingyourgoals.Makesureyourvendorhastherightservicemodelandprojectmanagementcapabilitiestomeetyourcommunicationsobjectivesandgrowandsustainaneffectivedigitalsignageplatformwithyouover-time.
CONTENT STRATEGY and PLANNING
Beforeyoumoveforwardwithpurchasingsystemhardwareandsoftware,considerthecontentyouwanttoplay.Whoisgoingtobeviewingyourcontent,where,andwhen?Whoisgoingtocreateyourcontentorwhereareyougoingtogetit?Whoisgoingtoplanforandmaintainthequantity,variety,quality,andintegrityofallofyourcontentforyouruniqueaudiences?Whoisgoingtoscheduleyourcontent?
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What you need to knowCMS
Inthedigitalsignageworld,youwillsee“CMS”usedalot.Itreferstothe“ContentManagementSystem”promotedbymostvendors.Becarefultounderstandthedifferencebetween“software”and“system,”asasystemwillbemorecomprehensiveinoffering.Also,justbecauseavendorhasaCMSdoesnotmeantheyhaveacontentlibrary.Mostvendorswillbeabletohelpwithcontentcreationforanadditionalfee,uponrequest,oftenthroughthirdpartycontentproviders.
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Bewareofvendorswhoquoteapriceforasystemwithoutincludingdigitalsignage-specificcontentdevelopmentormanagementcosts.Thesevendorsassumeyouwillcreate,fulfill,anddeliver100%ofyourowncontent.Justhavingasupplyofcontentalreadydoesnotensureitisofthequalityandformatneededforlargehigh-definition,digitalwide-screenviewing.Excessiveuseofnon-HDcontentthathasthelookandfeelofPowerPointisnotgoingtopromoteyourbrandinapositivelightorcommunicateeffectivelywithyouraudiences.Digitalsignageisaveryvisiblemediumandruns24/7.Ifthecontentisnotupdatedregularly,itwillbeignoredorbecomeannoying,andyouwillgetcomplaints.Youwantcontentthatisvisuallyengagingenoughtoattractattentionanddelivertheresultsyouneed.Somevendorswilloffercontentlibrariesanddesignservices,otherswillnot.
Paycarefulattention!
1.Youmayhavealotofpre-existingcontentthatdoesnottransferortranslatewellintoproperviewingonlarge,high-definitionmonitors.Contentdesignedforyourwebsiteorletter-sizePDFdocumentswillmostlikelyhavetoomuchcopyandwillnotbeappropriatelysizedfordigitalsignage.
2.Videosvaryinlengthandqualityanddonotalwaysdelivermessagesthatareappropriatetoyouraudienceswheretheyarewaiting.Also,audiomaynotbedesirableformanymonitorlocations.
3.ManyPowerPointandWordpresentationscontaintoomuchtextfordigitalsignageviewing.Also,thesefileformatsdonotlookgoodbecausetheresolutionisnothighenoughfortheselargemonitors.Itisbesttousethesetypesofsoftwareprogramsforquickcommunicationupdates,notbrandingefforts.
4.Becarefulofvendorswhosaythey“candowhateveryouwant,”or“weserveanyindustry.”Healthcareiscomplicatedandunlikeotherindustries.TheERstaffandtelemetrynursescouldbesegmentedintotwodifferentcontentaudiences,ascouldthepatientsinyourimagingcenterandcardiacwaitingroom.Youneedavendorwithsolidhealthcareexperiencewhounderstandsthatthesearealluniqueaudiences,eachwiththeirowncommunicationschallengesthatneedtobeaddressedinorderforyourcontenttohaveimpactandmakeadifference.
Digitalsignagecontentneedstobeplanned,managed,delivered,revised,andupdatedroutinelyformultipleaudiences,allwithvaryingcommunicationsneeds.Itisimperativetolookforavendorwhooffersyoucontentoptionsthatinclude:
•Arelevantandexpansivehealthcarecontentlibrarythatiseasytoaccessandincludesreadilyavailableupdatedcontentandclinicallyaccuratehealthcaremessages.
•Messagesthatenableyoutoaddyourowncall-to-actiontaglinesanddrivebehavior,e.g.havecustomerscallacertainphonenumber,makeanappointment,signupforatrial,orvisitawebsite.(ThisistotrackanyROIorROE.)
•Customcontentyourvendorcancreateforyou,assumingtheyhavethedesignexpertise.
•Abilityforyoutouploaddirectlyintoyoursystemcontentyoucreateinternallywithyourdesignteam.
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•Abilityforyoutoquicklycreatemessagesonlineusingavarietyofcustompre-designedbackgroundsthatincludeyouruniquebranding,availableforyoutouseatanytime.
•Abilitytouploadpre-recordedvideoandstreamlivevideotoallmonitors(especiallyvaluableinconnectingandcommunicatingwithoff-campusaudiences.)
•Dependablesupplyoffresh,animated,anddynamiccontenttomeetyourneeds.Theimportanceofunique,audience-centeredcontentthatiscurrent,visuallycaptivating,relevanttoyouraudiences,andsustainablecannotbestressedenough.Digitalsignageisaliving,breathingsystemthatneedstobecontinuallyfed,andinhealthcarethatmeansa“healthy”doseoftherightkindofhealthcontent.
•Abilitytointegratewithspecificexistingdatasourcestodisplaythisinformationautomaticallyonmonitors.
Itisalsopossiblethatyouwantyourdigitalsignagecontenttocrossoverintoothermediumssuchasyourclosedcircuittelevision(CCTV)systeminpatientrooms.Thismaybeanimportantapplicationforyourinternalcommunications,andyou’llwanttodiscussthiscapabilitywithyourvendor.
Managing multiple content channels or zones on a monitor
Thedecisiontousemorethanonecontentviewingarea(i.e.“channel”or“zone”)onamonitorisnotsomethingthatshouldbetakenlightly.Itisaneasydecisionifthemonitorissmall(say32”)becauseofasmallortightlocation.Inthissituationonlyonecontentchannelmakessense,otherwisenoonewillbeabletoreadthemessagesduetotheirsmallsize.However,inlarger,hightrafficareaswithlargermonitors,itisverytemptingtoputasmanychannelsorcontentareasonthereaspossible.Beforeyoudecideconsiderthefollowing:
•Alwaysgobacktoyourinitialcommunicationsobjectiveorevenyourmissionstatementandlookatthemessageyouwanttocommunicate,alongwiththeexperienceyoudesireforyourviewersthatwillultimatelyimpacttheiroverallexperienceinyourhospital.Bombardingpeoplewithoverwhelmingamountsofinformationisnotgoingtorelieveanxietyorevenensureyourmessagesarereceived.
•Whoisgoingtomanageallthesedifferentcontentareas?Themoreareasyouneedtofill,themorecontentyouneedtocreatechangeandkeepitfresh.
•Wheredoyouwantyourviewers’eyestogo?Ifyouwantthemtoabsorbyourmainmessage,thenyouwillwanttominimizeotherdistractionsandothermessages.
Itallcomesdowntotheexperienceyouwantyourpatients,employees,physiciansandotherstohavewithyourhospital.Therearemanyoptionstoconsider,andtheywillvarydependingonwheremonitorsarelocatedinyourhospital.Ifyouaretobeatrustedsourceofhealthinformationandhavetheabilitytoconnectandengageaudienceswithwhatyourhospitalhastooffer,thenyouwillwanttobecarefulaboutjustsupplyingnewsandotherinformationthatiseasilyfoundelsewhere.Whenpeopleareinyourhospital,usingyourservices,theyarecaptive;thisisanopportunityyoudonotwanttomiss.
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Yourdigitalsignagecontentshould:
•Elevatethelevelofprofessionalismandbrandinginyourfacility.
•Streamlinecommunicationsthroughoutyourorganization.
•RelievepatientanxietyandaddressFAQswith“whattoexpect”messages.•Supportyourqualityinitiativesandpatientsafetyprograms.Letyouraudiencesknowwhereyoustandonquality.Digitalsignageistheperfectopportunitytoshowcaseyour“transparency.”
•Encouragepatientsandotherstouseyourotherservicesandinspireemployeestorefertheirfriendsandfamily.
•Establishyourfacilityasahealthresource,notjustaplacepeoplegotowhenill.
•Supportphysicianeffortsinpatienteducation.
•Helppatientsandtheirfamiliesaccesscareandunderstandprocesses,procedures,etc.with“whattoexpect”information.
•Providepatienteducationtohelpemployeesmaintainastateof“surveyreadiness”forJointCommissionvisits.
•Encouragereferralsandeventregistration.
•Letpeopleknowtheyareimportant,theirtimeisvalued,andtheirhealthcareconcernsarelegitimate.
•Recognizeoutstandingemployeesandintroducenewphysicians.
Astechnologiesadvance,sodoesourperspectiveoncontent.Asconnectednessbecomespartofourthinking,theadvancementofcontentandengagementwillexceltoreachnewheightsofexperiencethatlivesoninthemindsoftheconsumerlongerandinmorelatentways.Itallbeginswithadisplayoranarrayofdisplaysandisneverendingwithcontent.
“Newtechnologywillchangeengagementthroughdigitalsignage,” KeithKelson,Digitalsignagetoday.com,April12,2010
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Tipsforoptimalcontentanddesignlayouts:
•Makethemostimportantpointthemostprominent–considerwhereyouwanttheviewer’seyestogotofirst.
•Keepyourimageconsistentwithyourbrand–andtherestofthemarketinginyourhospital.
•Usecolor,contrast,andfont/imagesizewell–tocatchtheviewer’sattentionandmakeyourmessagestandoutandeasytoread.
•Understandhowmotionaffectstheviewer–Isyourdisplaytoobusy?Istheretoomuchmovementornoneatall?Whereistheviewergoingtolookfirst?Doesthemovementdistractfromwhatyouarereallytryingtoconvey?
•Delivercontentyouwantyouraudiencestosee,feel,experience,andlearnabout–butdon’toverdoit.Deliveryourmessage,giveyouraudienceachancetorespond,andmoveon.Ifthepointisimportant,makeitagainatanothertime.Reinforcementisgood,redundancyisnot.
•Remembertokeepitsimple!–It’snotalwayseasytodo,butrememberthepointisnotjusttodeliveramessage,buttodeliveritinsuchawaythattheviewerunderstandsthemessageandisprovidedwiththeopportunitytorespondtoit.
Programming and Scheduling
Weunderstand“programs”astheyrelatetotelevision,andweknowtheword“playlists”astheyrelatetomp3players,forexample.Sohowdoprogramsorplayliststranslatetotheeffectivenessofdigitalsignageincommunicatingtouniqueaudiences?Thisisanareayouneedtopaycarefulattentiontowhenplanningyourcontentandinlookingattheresultsyouexpecttoachieve.
What you need to knowDigitalsignage“programming”
Programmingcomesfromtheworldofbroadcasting,promotinganoptimalarrangementofmessagestobeplayedinsequenceforaparticularaudience.
Effectiveprogramminggiveshealthcareorganizationsanedgewhenitcomestoinfluencingthebehavioroftheiraudiencesbyensuringtherightcontentisplayedat
therighttimeintherightlocation.
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Carefullycraftedprogramsthattheusercanscheduletoplayaswellastheabilitytoaddanddropmessagesatanytimewilladduptothemosteffectivemessagingforyourtargetaudiences,deliveringresultsbygettingpeopletoactonyourmessages.
Yourcontentmanagementsoftwareshouldbeabletoconsistentlydelivercontenttoyourmediaplayersystemwhenyouwantandneedit.Thissoftwareshouldallowyoutocreateplaylistsorprogramsforeachmonitorandallowyouto:
1.Scheduleyourprogramplaytimes.
2.Addandremovemessagesatyourdiscretion.
3.Makechangestoamessageandthenscheduletherevisedmessageforplayonceagain.
4.Accessaweb-basedsystemremotely.Alocallyhostedsystemmaynotallowyoutoupdateand/orutilizeexistingornewcontentfrommultiplelocations,suchasfromhomeorwhiletraveling.Youwillneedtotakeintoaccountthelimitationsofalocalsystem.
5.Move/copymessagesfromoneprogramtoanother.
6.Add/deletemessagesto/frommultipleprogramsatthesametime(easily).
7.Storeunusedmessagesinfoldersforlateruse.
Templates
Templateshelpwithbrandingdifferenttypesofdigitalsignagecommunicationstoyouruniqueaudiences.Forexample,aCMEtemplatethatiseasilyrecognizabletophysiciansontheirwaytogetcoffeeinthedoctor’sloungecangivethemtheinformationtheyneedinashortamountoftime.And,iftheyseethistemplateeverymonth,theywillcometodependonitasavaluablesourceofreadilyavailableinformation.
File formats
Besuretousetherightfileformats.Manyarenotoptimaloreveneffectiveforlarge-screenhighdefinitionviewingandmayevendenigratethevalueandappearanceofyourcommunications.
Youwantasystemthatenablesyoutocreateyourowncontent,providesready-madehealthcontentallowingyoutotargeteachofyourhealthcareaudiences,andalsooffersacombinationofthetwo.Somevendorscanalsosupplycompletelycustomizedcontent.Yourdigitalsignagevendorshouldbeabletoprovideavarietyofstaticimagescreens,aswellasscreenswithmovement(includingvideo,animation,orboth).Somecompaniesalsoprovidemodulesforweatherandnews,amongothertypes.Itisuptoyoutodeterminethevalueofofferingthistypeofcontentanditspotentialimpactonyouraudiencesversusanyassociatedadditionalcosts.
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Price rangeThecostofbuyingcustomcontentvariesgreatlydependingonquantity,quality,andvendor.Aself-servicecontentmanagementsystemwithgraphicsandtechnicalsupportcanbeupwardsof$4,500annually.Somevendorsincludeacontentlibraryasapartoftheirannualfees,somevendorsofferoutsideadvertisingagencyassistance,andsomeoffergraphicsservicesinternally.Animatedcontentcancostatleast$2,500to$5,000peranimationorupto$250/hourforcreatingcustomcontent.Youwillneedtodoaside-by-sidecomparisontoseewhateachvendorisofferingatwhatprice.Agencieswillcharge$300ormoreperstaticdigitalsignagemessage.
Questionstoaskaboutcontent:
1.Whatdothecontentmanagementfeesinclude?
2.OnceIcreatemycontent,whatarethedatastoragefees?
3.Doyouprovidealibraryofready-madehealthcarecontentofinteresttomytargetedhealthcareaudiences?
4.Whatfileformatswillnottranslatewellforviewingonlargedigitalmonitors?Whichonestranslateoptimally?
5.Whatisthecosttohaveyouoryourthirdpartyvendorcreatecontent?
The ad model – What you need to know if considering this for your hospital
ManyareoftheopinionthattheROIofad-fundeduseofdigitalsignageacrossallindustrieshasbeenminimal,atbest.
Thenewmobileworldmakesitincumbentonthedigitalsignageprovidertodeployavisualsolutionthathasaninherentvaluepropositionbeyondthatofjustdeliveringanadvertisement. SteveGurley,Ad-fundeddigitalsignage,Isthereafutureinit?June2010“
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Advertisingandthedigitalsignagemediumseemtobeanaturalfit,sowhyisn’tthemodelgrowing?
Assmartphonesdevelopintheirabilitytotargetindividualsbylocation,buyinghabits,personalpreferences,etc.,marketersareprojectedtospendaddollarsonthe“mobileexperience.”Withthisgravitationtowardsmobilephones,itisimportantthatdigitalsignagecommunicationsnotfocusonanadmodelthatwillnotbeabletosustainitselflongterm.(Ad-FundedDigitalSignage:IsThereaFutureinit?AwhitepaperbySteveGurley,June2010.)
And,ofcourse,inhealthcarethedynamicsareevenmorecomplex.HIPAAregulations,privacy,andcompetitoractivitymakethesharingofvaluableinternalcommunicationsevenastickierpointofcontention.Controloveryourcontentandhowitisbeingdeliveredtoyouraudiencesshouldtakepriority.Keepingyouraudiencesfocusedonyourmessageandnotanyoneelse’swillpayoffinthelongrun.
TRAINING
Allvendorsshouldprovidetrainingandsupportinhowtousetheirsystem.Thesecostswillvarysignificantlydependingonthetypeofsystemprovided,thenumberofpeopletobetrained,wherethetrainingistobeperformed,etc.
What you need to knowAd-funded vs. Ad-supported
Ifyouareconsideringanad-modelapproach,itisimportanttounderstandthedifferencebetweenad-fundedandad-supported.
Ad-fundediswherethedigitalsignagesystemissuppliedtoyouatlittleornocost.Yourvendorthensellsadsonyourmonitortorecouptheircosts.Thismaytakeplaceononeofthesidecontentareas.
Ad-supportediswhereyouwouldpurchasethesystemfromyourvendorandthentrytoselladvertisingtooffsetthecostofthesystem,orevenmakeaprofit.Youwouldmostlikelyapproachsuppliers,localbusinesses,andretailersonyourcampustoadvertiseinavailablespaceonyourmonitors.
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Questionstoaskregardingtraining:
1.Whattypeoftrainingdoyouprovide?
2.Howlongwillthetrainingtakeandhowmanypeoplecanyouaccommodate?
3.Whereisthetrainingperformed?Doyouhaveweb-basedtraining?Doyouprovideon-site,hands-ontraining?
4.Arethereadditionaltrainingfeesiftherearechangesinpersonnelornewpeoplearebroughtinovertimewhoarenewtothesystem?Whatarethosefees?
SERVICE and SUPPORT
Whathappensifsomethinggoeswrong,technicallyorotherwise?Doesyourvendorprovide24/7support?Whatifyourprogramjustisn’tgettingthecommunicationsjobdone–istheresomeoneyoucancallforguidanceandsupport?Whathappensifyouwanttoincludeanotherlocationinyoursignageplanandaddanewmonitor?Willyouhaveonecontactpersonwhohandlesyouraccount?Doesyourvendorknowyouraccount,orareyoujustanothernumber?Undertakingaprojectofthisnaturerequirestechnicalsupportandassistance,24/7monitoring,remoteservicemaintenance,andsoftwareupdates.Somevendorsofferongoing,dailysupporttodealwithanysoftwareissues,bestpractices,messageideasandimplementationofcampaigns,andphasedexpansionofyoursystem.
Undoubtedly,youwillhavequestionsandneedsupportasyouusedigitalsignage.Evenifyouareusingasystemwhereyouareincontrolofyourcontentanditsdesignanddistribution,youneedtoknowyourvendorunderstandsyourchallenges,yourobjectives,andyouraudiences,andisthereforyou!
Questionstoaskregardingserviceandsupport:
1.Whattypeofmonitoringandtechnicalsupportareprovided?Isyoursupport24/7?Howmuchdoesitcost?
2.Whattypeofcustomersupportisprovidedforsoftwarequestionsorguidancewithyourcontentandcampaigns?Howmuchdoesthiscost?
3.Whatresourcesdoyouprovideregardingbestpracticesfordigitalsignage,specificallyinhealthcare,tohelpoptimizeoursystem?
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EQUIPMENT WARRANTIES
Warranties and service contracts
Today,thereare3-yearon-sitewarrantiesformanycommercialmonitors,soitmaynotbenecessarytoobtainextendedwarranties.Pleaseaskyourvendoraboutthespecificwarrantiestheyprovideandwhattheycover.Anextendedwarranty,ifavailable,usuallydependsontheinitialpurchasepriceofthemonitor.
Questionstoaskregardingwarranties:
1.Whatexactlydoesmywarrantycover?
2.Howlongisthewarrantycoverage?
3.Whatistheprocessforreplacingamonitororgettingonefixedifsomethingshouldgowrong?
4.Isthereawarrantyonthemediaplayer?Whattypeandforhowlong?Whatistheprocessforrepairing/replacingaplayerifsomethinggoeswrong?
Copyright © 2011 Vericom Corporation
For information about ChannelCare digital signage, exclusively for healthcare,please call Vericom at 800-800-1090 or visit us at www.vericom.net.
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