News

Dental chain bites into digital signage with 1,400-screen rollout

June 26, 2013

Digital media and self-service solutions provider inLighten has been awarded a project by Great Expressions Dental Centers to provide a hosted digital signage network across the organization's 189 existing specialty dental clinics, as well as upcoming new locations opened by the regional dental service provider, according to an announcement from inLighten.

The Bloomfield Hills, Mich., company operates dental centers in nine states ranging from Michigan to Florida and, through a national RFP process, selected inLighten to outfit its facilities with screens located in both waiting areas and operatories. The initial phase of the project will include more than 1,400 screens powered by inLighten's iBOX Digital Media Players at each of the offices and connected to inLighten's hosted online content management solution. Turnkey installation for the project will be provided by inLighten's audio-visual services division, inCommunication. Project Manager Gary Hiramoto said that installations have been planned to occur over a 12-month period and will be implemented to avoid interrupting normal business operations.

Each dental center will present inLighten's specialized iTV news programming to engage patients while they wait for service and when they're in the operatories. Great Expressions video messages about products and services, plans, and other brand and corporate announcements, will be the only promotional content mixed with the news programming. According to inLighten, this content combination produces an enhanced awareness of dental care information while at the same time making patients feel more comfortable and relaxed during their visit.

Industry sources indicate that idle time accounts for about 20 minutes of the typical dental office visit and can contribute to patient anxiety and under-utilization of services, the announcement said. The mix of Great Expressions messaging and iTV news content is intended to address both issues. "The combination of our high-quality news programming and attractive, informative messaging created by us for Great Expressions will be both an added value for the patient and a means of making each patient relationship more valuable to our client," said inLighten Senior Vice President of Sales Doug Braun. "Our goal is to help our client maximize the potential of each patient visit."

According to inLighten, the first dental centers are scheduled to be installed starting by year-end 2013 and continuing throughout the next year.

Learn more about digital signage in health care.