What You Need To Know Digital Signage 2011

800.800.1090 vericom.net

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


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““


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““


•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.


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?


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.


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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Documents

What You Need To Know Digital Signage 2011