Anyone who has had to take a trip to the hospital, maybe to visit a sick friend or meet a new niece or nephew, knows trying to navigate a large, complex medical campus can quickly become overwhelming. Between locked staff-only areas, hallway after hallway that look exactly the same, and myriad entrances and parking garages, your hospital trip can become a frustrating experience.
University Health System, located in San Antonio, Texas, has partnered with Gozio Health to remedy this situation by creating a mobile wayfinding platform for its campus. Gozio used a robot, cleverly named Magellan, to roam the hospital to capture data and create detailed maps of the building spaces and campus.
As soon as visitors step out of their car in the parking garage, the University Health System mobile wayfinding platform provides turn-by-turn, Blue Dot navigation through the entire campus.
Innovations in healthcare wayfinding
The tool allows patients, visitors, and hospital staff to use their smartphone to efficiently navigate to any location on campus, from the maternity ward to the emergency room, to a specific doctor’s office, even the nearest vending machine. It also helps users avoid any “Seinfeld”-esque “lost in the garage” issues; the tool marks the individual spot where the user parked.
Gozio's robot, Magellan.
In addition to wayfinding functions, the app gives patients and visitors immediate access to physician directories, electronic medical records, and the ability to view hospital amenities, an important feature according to Joshua Titus, CEO and Founder of Gozio Health.
“For hospitals to remain competitive, they must provide patients with a digital platform that features location-based services, appointment scheduling, and access to their patient portal from their smartphone,” said Titus.
Based on statistics from Gozio, 85% of users that install the wayfinding app to navigate to a destination within a hospital will return to the app to use the other features such as for scheduling appointments and viewing their medical records.
The University Health System mobile wayfinding platform also includes access to 28 satellite clinics and urgent care centers, covering more than three million square feet of navigation.
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 10, 2023
The latest pediatric design solutions for our tiniest patients
Pediatric design leaders Julia Jude and Kristie Alexander share several of CannonDesign's latest pediatric projects.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 27, 2023
Convenience ranks highly when patients seek healthcare
Healthcare consumers are just as likely to factor in convenience as they do cost when deciding where to seek care and from whom, according to a new survey of 4,037 American adults about their attitudes and preferences as patients. The survey, conducted from April 19-28 by JLL, in many ways confirms the obvious: that older generations seek preventive care more often than younger generations; that insurance coverage is a primary driver for choosing a provider or hospital; and that the quality of service affects the patient experience.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 27, 2023
A woman-led CM team manages the expansion and renovation of a woman-focused hospital in Nashville
This design-build project includes adding six floors for future growth.
Standards | Jun 26, 2023
New Wi-Fi standard boosts indoor navigation, tracking accuracy in buildings
The recently released Wi-Fi standard, IEEE 802.11az enables more refined and accurate indoor location capabilities. As technology manufacturers incorporate the new standard in various devices, it will enable buildings, including malls, arenas, and stadiums, to provide new wayfinding and tracking features.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 14, 2023
Design considerations for behavioral health patients
The surrounding environment plays a huge role in the mental state of the occupants of a space, especially behavioral health patients whose perception of safety can be heightened. When patients do not feel comfortable in a space, the relationships between patients and therapists are negatively affected.
Engineers | Jun 14, 2023
The high cost of low maintenance
Walter P Moore’s Javier Balma, PhD, PE, SE, and Webb Wright, PE, identify the primary causes of engineering failures, define proactive versus reactive maintenance, recognize the reasons for deferred maintenance, and identify the financial and safety risks related to deferred maintenance.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 5, 2023
Modernizing mental health care in emergency departments: Improving patient outcomes
In today’s mental health crisis, there is a widespread shortage of beds to handle certain populations. Patients may languish in the ED for hours or days before they can be linked to an appropriate inpatient program.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 1, 2023
High-rise cancer center delivers new model for oncology care
Atlanta’s 17-story Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown features two-story communities that organize cancer care into one-stop destinations. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and May Architecture, the facility includes comprehensive oncology facilities—including inpatient beds, surgical capacity, infusion treatment, outpatient clinics, diagnostic imaging, linear accelerators, and areas for wellness, rehabilitation, and clinical research.
Healthcare Facilities | May 19, 2023
A new behavioral health facility in California targets net zero energy
Shortly before Mental Health Awareness Month in May, development and construction firm Skanska announced the topping out of California’s first behavioral health facility—and the largest in the nation—to target net zero energy. Located in Redwood City, San Mateo County, Calif., the 77,610-sf Cordilleras Health System Replacement Project is slated for completion in late 2024.
3D Printing | May 12, 2023
World’s first 3D-printed medical center completed
3D construction printing reached new heights this week as the world’s first 3D-printed medical center was completed in Thailand.
