Importance of External and Internal signages
A hospital is a world in itself. A place where people of diverse ethnic, linguistic and occupational backgrounds throng every day. In such a place, guiding people by giving voice commands will just not work. This is where signage comes in.
Hospitals incorporate internal and external signage in a big way to effectively enhance both patient satisfaction and the visibility of the hospital. This is done as a part of their healthcare marketing strategy to promote the hospital. To accomplish this successfully, they avail the services of an expert healthcare consulting firm.
What is signage and how can it be used in hospitals?
Signage is the term used to refer to "graphic displays used to instruct, guide, or communicate with an audience". Signage is implemented in the form of signboards, both inside and outside the hospital. Signboards kept inside the hospital help patients to find their way about the premises while the external signboards used outside the hospital serve to propagate the hospital's presence to the outside world.
Internal signage benefits
Anyone who has been to a hospital can easily remember the innumerable signboards hung there with arrow markings pointing to the Operation theatre, ICU, Pharmacy, Radiology or Scan department, Restroom, etc. These internal signboards are a must at any hospital for the following reasons:
1. Finding the way
A hospital is a maze. Thousands of people gather at one time at the hospital and managing them become a challenging task. This is where signboards come to the rescue.
Internal signboards that are placed within a hospital include directional signs. digital signs and placards. They help patients to navigate through the hospital and find their way about quickly. Internal signboards are specifically of great help to patients who are vocally challenged or patients who do not know the local language. For such patients, graphic display signboards are the best solution.
2. Communicating with the patients
When hospitals want to communicate with a large number of patients at one go, internal signboards are obviously the right choice to be used. Instead of sending emails, messages or repeated reminder via phone call, placing a graphic display with the correct message at the hospital's reception or patient waiting area will do. This works really well for promulgating general health alerts, reminders on seasonal vaccination, hospital's hygiene requirements, health hazard warnings, etc.
3. Enforcing safety and hygiene compliance among employees
For a hospital, managing its sea of employees is a Himalayan task. Internal signboards make this easier by helping the hospital management to communicate, regulate and control the employee using graphic display signs. Signboards can be placed at crucial spots to remind employees to adhere to the hygiene and safety requirements and follow basic hospital rules.
4. Cost savings
Signboards can save a lot of money for hospitals if used innovatively in their healthcare marketing strategy. Instead of spending money on recruitment ads, hospitals can put up small "wanted persons" signboards on their premises itself. Expert healthcare consulting firms advise hospitals to put up such signboards to promote their healthcare offers and facilities to patients.
Internal signage benefits are many if they are handled rightly by a competent healthcare consulting firm to improve the visibility of the hospital.
Importance of external signage
For any hospital, its public image and corporate standing are vital. This is augmented only by the use of innovative and eye-catching external signage. The importance of external signage is reflected in its use in the following ways:
- External signage serves to establish the presence of the hospital in the market and neighbourhood.
- It enumerates the range of clinical facilities offered by the hospital to the public.
- An appealing external inboard with an eye-catching appearance is enough to create visibility and recall for the hospital.
- To attract patients to the hospital. an attractive external signage is a must.
- External signage creates recognition and helps in the hospital's brand building.
Signage can play a significant role in the healthcare marketing strategy. All it requires is a creative healthcare consulting firm to use internal and external signage innovatively to promote the hospital effectively.