Chelsea & Westminster Hospital has installed an internal navigation system for patients and visitors.
The hospital has over 6,000 visitors per day. Some 87% require directions and almost a third become lost.
London-based company BuzzStreets has devised and installed its application in the hospital. The app uses WiFi signals from a system of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, together with the Earth’s magnetic field, to pinpoint the app user’s location, giving real-time directions, both spoken and visual, to navigate throughout the hospital, both horizontally and vertically.
Trials have shown the system to be accurate to 1-2m, allowing visitors to navigate their way from outside to the specific location they need, whether it be a bed on a ward, consulting room, café or pharmacy.
The Hospital’s Deputy Chief Nurse explains: “The pilot project has already shown that the app reduces frustration for staff and visitors alike. It helps reduce the anxiety of patients and visitors trying to find their way in the hospital, which previously required contact with multiple different staff. Overall, we’ve seen that the app helps save resources, improve patient outcomes, and enhances the entire hospital experience for patients and their families.”
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