Helping St Vincent's Build The Hospital of The Future
ST VINCENT'S CREATED AN ACCESSIBLE & INCLUSIVE HOSPITAL
One of Australia's largest healthcare providers, St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, is dedicated to providing equitable access to healthcare for all. One of the challenges they faced was the accessibility of their large and complex hospital campus - a common but significant issue facing hospitals across Australia. This problem is especially acute for people with a disability and vision impairment. A survey by Vision Australia found that over 60% of blind or partially sighted people have difficulty finding their way around hospitals in Australia.
Key challenges
- Multiple buildings and many departments means it can be complex to navigate for people of all abilities.
- The reception staff and volunteers are great at helping visitors at the entry points. However, visitors often forget the next steps once they are further along in their journey.
- Fixed signage cannot keep pace with services’ movements, especially experienced in COVID-19 pandemic.
- Hospitals may use multiple terminology to refer to the same location.
- People with a disability, particularly vision impairment, often need additional staff help, and experience greater anxiety while going to their appointments or visiting loved ones.
ST VINCENT'S CREATED AN ACCESSIBLE & INCLUSIVE HOSPITAL
One of Australia's largest healthcare providers, St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, is dedicated to providing equitable access to healthcare for all. One of the challenges they faced was the accessibility of their large and complex hospital campus - a common but significant issue facing hospitals across Australia. This problem is especially acute for people with a disability and vision impairment. A survey by Vision Australia found that over 60% of blind or partially sighted people have difficulty finding their way around hospitals in Australia.
Key challenges
- Multiple buildings and many departments means it can be complex to navigate for people of all abilities.
- The reception staff and volunteers are great at helping visitors at the entry points. However, visitors often forget the next steps once they are further along in their journey.
- Fixed signage cannot keep pace with services’ movements, especially experienced in COVID-19 pandemic.
- Hospitals may use multiple terminology to refer to the same location.
- People with a disability, particularly vision impairment, often need additional staff help, and experience greater anxiety while going to their appointments or visiting loved ones.
WHY THEY CHOSE BINDIMAPS
To continuously improve patient, visitor and staff experience, St Vincent's Hospital actively searches for innovative opportunities to update its systems and processes. The hospital recognised that the BindiMaps app could help with many of the issues patients, visitors and staff face when navigating the hospital. With BindiMaps installed, people can quickly and independently use the app to search for their destination and receive step-by-step instructions - eliminating the need to remember directions from a hospital employee. For people with low vision, the app is optimised to deliver precise audio directions that work with a user's accessible voice-over option, dramatically reducing the stress and burden of navigating a complex and busy hospital. Wheelchair users are provided with accessible routes that avoid stairs and escalators, making their journey around the hospital smoother. Additionally, as a fully managed service, any updates or changes to the app can be made remotely by the BindiMaps team, ensuring that any relocations or name changes reflect in the app in real-time.
WHAT DID BINDIMAPS COVER?
BindiMaps was installed covering:
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Square Metres
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Floors
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Searchable Spaces
HOW BINDIMAPS DELIVERS?
BindiMaps installed at the hospital in Sydney NSW, covering 86,000 square metres, 13 floors, and 431 searchable spaces. The BindiMaps app delivers hyperlocal navigation with a 1-2 metre accuracy, clearly identifying different rooms and 431 searchable spaces. The step-by-step audio navigation enables current and future patients and visitors with a vision impairment to navigate the hospital efficiently and independently. At the same time, the text and map view gives sighted users a visual layout of the hospital, and locate any rooms, accessible entrance or other facilities at the tap of a button.
Increase in Adoption Rate
Since being expanded into more areas in the hospital, BindiMaps has helped hundreds of users of all abilities navigate St Vincent's Hospital while enabling people with a disability to navigate independently and safely to their appointments or to visit loved ones.
Increase in Patient Satisfaction
Implementing BindiMaps has made a significant difference for many patients and visitors at St Vincent's Hospital, enabling the hospital to continue to deliver high-quality, patient-centred care.
An Accessible Hospital & Workplace
Having BindiMaps installed supports current and future employees with a disability whilst also promoting itself as an accessible hospital and workplace.
