The Wilmington VA Medical Center in Wilmington, Del., completed the first phase of deployment of an interactive wayfinding system by Ohio-based LogicJunction, according to an announcement. The system includes 10 kiosks with 42-inch touchscreens and two separate 24-inch screens throughout the facility.
The wayfinding system provides hospital visitors with step-by-step directions which are visible on the kiosks and can be printed as maps or sent via email to smartphones. An on-screen representative, also referred to as Val (short for Veterans Affairs Locator), greets visitors and invites them to ask for help with directions in either English or Spanish.
A broader deployment of the wayfinding system is in the works and will expand direction-giving capabilities throughout the hospital via computers and tablets, the announcement said. Additionally, the second phase will enable hospital visitors to pre-plan their visits from home, allowing them to obtain all-encompassing route guidance, including driving and parking instructions, as well as step-by-step directions within the hospital. The second phase will also include the use of QR codes placed at strategic locations throughout the hospital, which when scanned with a smartphone will immediately determine the visitor's location so the system can direct them to their desired endpoint.
"Val puts a personal face on the system," said Mike Drozda, COO of LogicJunction. "Her outgoing personality helps take some of the stress off of hospital visitors by providing an upbeat, reliable source of information in situations that are often stressful.
Wilmington VA spokesman Charles Quesenberry added, "Being lost at the hospital can make a stressful experience even worse. It just adds to the anxiety and fear. This system is very interactive, very easy to use and it helps you get where you need to be and really reduces that level of stress."
Read more about kiosks for wayfinding and information.
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