Case study: future-proof digital signage at IMED

Hergiswil, Switzerland — 27 June 2017 — SpinetiX presents 105-screen digital signage installation at IMED in Spain. This installation delivers on improving care and corporate image and is a scalable and future-facing solution with reduced operating costs thanks to IMED, Medip Health, and Masscomm. SpinetiX Elementi has been a software choice for content creation, and all screens are powered by SpinetiX HMP players.

IMED Hospitals is a private healthcare group based in Spain. It currently has 3 hospitals and 2 polyclinics with more than 1000 professionals on staff. The new IMED Valencia hospital is located in the northwest of Valencia. 185 rooms are spread over 8 inpatient units featuring cutting-edge design and equipped with the latest technological advances in medical care, entertainment and well-being.

Challenges

In order to improve communication with patients, hospital management has decided to create a communication channel to show patients relevant information about the hospital and its services, as well as to spread the word about disease prevention drives and health advice. IMED Valencia's IT department chose the solution proposed by Medip Health to design the hospital's digital signage. This solution came with the guarantee of a technology company specializing in the development and implementation of multimedia services in the healthcare sector that collaborates with hospitals to improve the quality of life of hospitalized patients and optimize healthcare and hospital management. The basic premises on which the project was built are as follows:

• 70 screens capable of uninterrupted operation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, had to be supplied and installed
• It had to be possible to manage and configure players and load content remotely
• Creating and modifying content had to be quick, simple and centralized at IMED's offices in Alfaz del Pi (Benidorm, Spain)
• The new system had to be compatible with the existing signage system at IMED Elche, with 45 screens installed, 12 of which form 3 video walls
• An optimal architecture would have to be designed to automatically update player content, taking the existing network resources into consideration
• Furthermore, there was also a need to be able to expand the project by integrating functionalities into facilities at IMED Torrevieja, with a total of 6 screens.

Solutions

As the company responsible for installing the new signage system at IMED Valencia and IMED Torrevieja, Medip Health chose the digital signage solution offered by SpinetiX, as it did previously for IMED Elche. Specifically, when choosing new players, the company opted for the HMP300 model to work alongside the HMP100 players already installed at IMED Elche. For content editing, SpinetiX offers a desktop software solution Elementi, which is distributed via licenses. In this case, the Elementi X license was chosen because, among other things, it enables users to manage an unlimited number of players, or load content to network drives. Physical installation of the new players at the Valencia hospital was completed quickly, as the players only need to be connected to the power supply and the data network. Once installed, the management of players becomes completely remote. With regard to the players already installed at IMED Elche, only firmware had to be upgraded to ensure that the content of the new Elementi X software would be fully compatible with the existing players.

What's more, existing projects were migrated from the old HMD content-editing software to the new Elementi software without problems. It should be highlighted that, in consultation with Masscomm, Medip Health worked together with IMED's IT department to measure, configure and launch the servers that periodically load the content that is automatically downloaded by the players to be shown on the screens. Thanks to this technology, IMED's marketing team will be able to edit and update content independently. As the players automatically download validated content, the marketing team no longer has to load content and maintain or manage the players.

Results

Improved care and corporate image

IMED hospitals are characterized by impeccable patient treatment and surrounding their patients with high-quality standards in all aspects. The communication channel created by the network of signage screens allows the hospitals to present information on health drives and product offers, as well as general info that could be of interest to patients. The solution proposed by Medip Health is aligned with the principles of maximum quality and ongoing improvement of customer service.

Reduced operating costs

Editing content is intuitive, quick and easy. Content templates have also been created that integrate with the tools currently used by the company and feed into the company's other communication channels, such as its web page or RSS feed. In this way, by changing the information in one single place, it is also auto- matically updated on the digital signs, allowing a constant flow of updates to info directed at patients.

Scalable and future-facing solution

Medip Health has already installed 45 screens at IMED Elche and, in this second phase, it completed the system with 60 screens at IMED Valencia and 6 at IMED Torrevieja. This increase in the number of screens was a minimal update that has benefited the existing infrastructure. Furthermore, the working methodology at an operational level is similar but more efficient, thanks to a training plan adapted to IMED's specific needs. This solution is fully prepared to consider the number of screens in the hospitals in the future, without an increase in central infrastructure or operating costs.

About SpinetiX

At SpinetiX, we inspire businesses to unlock the potential of their story. We believe in the power of digital signage as a dynamic new storytelling platform to engage with people. For more than 10 years, we have been constantly innovating to deliver cutting-edge technology that helps our customers shine. Engineered in Switzerland, our comprehensive suite of solutions empowers businesses to realize their full potential. Whether you’re looking for a plug & play solution to bring your story to life or a fully customized solution to captivate your audience, SpinetiX is your partner to successfully grow your business.