If you have ever spent time in your doctor’s waiting room, you may have read some well-worn magazines or watched reality TV to pass the time. This is no longer the case at UConn Health.
Recently, new TV monitors were installed in many of the waiting rooms in the Outpatient Pavilion and the Cardiology, Pulmonary and Nephrology waiting rooms in the main building. In partnership with AccentHealth, a healthcare media company that provides a patient engagement solution for physician waiting and exam rooms, UConn Health patients are being educated and empowered to live healthy lives by receiving credible health information.
“The patients in our waiting rooms are watching a television network that provides exclusive programming produced by CNN and co-hosted by CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and HLN Morning News Anchor Robin Meade. AccentHealth also delivers specialty networks that are produced in partnership with the American Cancer Society, Harvard Medical School, and the American Heart Association,” says Vice President of Ambulatory Services Anne Horbatuck. Segments include health news, living well, fitness, nutrition, medical breakthroughs, safety tips, and healthy recipes. In addition to the network programming, patients also view UConn Health produced videos and messaging.
“Patients used to sit down and either check their phones or read a magazine. Now they spend their time in the waiting room learning about health-related topics or getting wellness tips,” says practice manager Kelly Clarke. “The patient feedback has been so positive that we have increased the time the programming is available in our waiting room,” adds Clarke.