Inpatients at Temple University Hospital now have access to educational information regarding their stay due to the hospital’s recent contract with pCare Interactive Systems to install 650 32-inch flat screen TVs.
pCare TV is an interactive program, which offers a variety of viewing options for patients to choose, including information about different aspects of their stay at the hospital.
“With pCare, there’s information about what to expect from your hospitalization,” said Joan Dauhajre, senior director for Patient Experience at TUH. “There’s information about safety. There’s information about people’s care plan. It’s educational material that’s diagnostic based.”
Dauhajre said informing patients about their condition and their stay was a critical part of providing hospitality.
“Our main goal was to offer patients as much information as possible through their television while they were with us so that they could learn about their bill of rights, discharge planning and care while they were in their room,” Dauhajre said.
The educational component of the interactive system educates patients on their personal conditions and aspects of their care like dietary needs, how to deal with a diagnosis and how to care for themselves following a surgery.
Dauhajre said nurses selected videos to help educate patients about their condition and hospital staff can review material with patients.
“The more control you give people over their care, the more compliant they can be, the better they’ll be able to take care of themselves at home,” she said.
Dauhajre added that in order to ensure safety and maintain health following a patient’s stay, there are also preventive modalities which patients can access and are encouraged to utilize during their stay. This is necessary to prevent patients from requiring readmission.
Patients also have access to a stress management program and relaxation channel for illness-induced stress which incorporates practices like yoga.
In addition to the health-based educational programs, inpatients have access to entertainment, including a variety of movies they can choose to watch.
“Every two months, we’re able to take 10 movies,” Dauhajre said. “What we did was we had the patients choose 10 movies they would like so that they would have participation. Patients can choose On Demand movies as well, based on regular selection.”
Those lounging in the lobbies and waiting rooms also benefit from the newly installed TVs, which broadcast news and announcements of upcoming events.
“People love the flat screens and the interactive abilities,” Dauhajre added. “They like the relaxation channel. They like the fact that there’s so much information on the TV now other than just turning on channel two, four or six. It’s become an educational tool and a way of communicating in addition to entertainment.”
Kayla Oatneal can be reached at kayla.oatneal@temple.edu
CORRECTION: A version of this story that appeared in print in the Oct. 21 issue incorrectly stated a fact originally attributed to Temple University Hospital’s Senior Director for Patient Experience Joan Dauhajre. The new TVs at the hospital will not display medical records.
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