Talking HealthTech: 335 – Accessibility and wayfinding in healthcare. Joe Halavazis, BindiMaps

Navigating the healthcare system can be a daunting task, especially for patients and visitors with disabilities or other accessibility issues. The complexity of the healthcare system and the often confusing layout of hospitals can create additional barriers to accessing care. Wayfinding is the process of using visual and spatial cues to navigate through an environment. In healthcare, wayfinding can make a significant impact on the patient experience and improve accessibility for all.

In this episode, Joseph Halavazis from Bindi Maps discussed the importance of wayfinding in healthcare and how the platform is working to improve accessibility.

Brief History 

Joseph explained that Bindi Maps was born out of a personal experience. Bindi Maps founder, Dr. Anna Wright, received news that she was going to lose her vision. This led her to question how she was going to get around and what tools were available to her. She found that there were limited options available, mostly Braille signage, which was not a practical solution for someone who had lost their sight later in life.

To address this issue, Bindi Maps developed an app that provides navigation cues using a proprietary language that is tailored to the needs of people with visual impairments. The app can also provide visual maps and has expanded to include kiosks in hospitals. The kiosks are interactive and allow users to search for directions and other information about the hospital.

Accessibility

One of the main things that sets the company apart from others in the industry is the commitment to creating solutions that are accessible for everybody. This means taking into account the needs of people with disabilities or other challenges that may make it difficult to use traditional products or services. For example, the company offers wheelchair accessibility routes for people with mobility issues, ensuring that they can navigate their surroundings safely and easily. Additionally, they have developed a roadmap that identifies applicable routes for people with autism, taking into account potential triggers and suggesting alternate paths that may be more comfortable and less overwhelming. By prioritizing accessibility in their solutions, the company is helping to create a more inclusive healthcare where everyone can participate and thrive.

A Navigation Dilemma 

Hospitals are facing a common problem of static signage that doesn’t keep up with changes in the hospital layout. This results in stressed-out patients and visitors who struggle to find their way around, and also pulls staff away from their work to assist with navigation. Research shows that around 2.5% of each shift is wasted on helping people navigate, which equates to $2.2 million lost in productivity per hospital. Additionally, missed appointments due to getting lost or being late and complaints about wayfinding make up 76% of all complaints submitted to hospitals. This has a quantifiable economic impact of $1.5 billion on the healthcare industry. By providing effective and independent wayfinding solutions, hospitals can improve the patient experience and reinvest resources into clinical solutions.

How It Works

Bindi Maps offers a simple and easy-to-use app that localizes users as soon as they enter a Bindi Maps location and provides directions to their desired destination. Additionally, the company offers kiosks that allow users to select their destination and receive directions on their phone via a QR code. This approach offers users flexibility and convenience, especially in settings where wayfinding can be challenging, such as hospitals or shopping centers. By providing accessible navigation solutions, Bindi Maps is making it easier for people to get around and adapt to changing circumstances.

Hazard Alerts

Hazard alerts are a useful feature in the Bindi Maps app that allows users to report temporary or permanent hazards. Permanent hazards are programmed into the system, such as a column in the middle of a common area, to ensure people with vision impairments do not accidentally walk into them. Temporary hazards, on the other hand, could be a blockage due to refurbishment. Facilities can let Bindi Maps know which parts of the hospital are inaccessible, and the app can update its routes to guide users to their desired destinations quickly. 

Wayfinding Committee

The responsibility for hospital wayfinding can be a challenge, and accessibility must be considered for those with visual impairments or mobility limitations. Simply putting up signs may not be enough, and wayfinding committees are being established to address this issue. Additionally, directing people to alternative routes may inadvertently lead them to inaccessible areas. Bindi Maps has taken these challenges into account and is developing functions in the app to ensure accessibility and ease of use, making wayfinding more accessible to everyone.

Wayfinding as a Solution

Wayfinding is a challenge for everyone in the healthcare industry, from nurses to hospital directors. Getting lost or disoriented in a healthcare facility is a common occurrence that affects patients, visitors, and staff. The terminology used to describe the problem is often negative, with terms such as “rabbit warren” or “maze” used to describe the layout of healthcare facilities. However, with the availability of new technology such as digital and indoor wayfinding solutions like Bindi Maps, hospital districts are starting to plan for more sustainable solutions to the problem. Newer healthcare developments, such as those in the Western Sydney Health District, are incorporating digital wayfinding technology into their designs, and healthcare consultant groups are being consulted to find solutions. As the word spreads about digital wayfinding technology, more hospitals and healthcare facilities are likely to adopt this approach to make navigating healthcare facilities easier for everyone.

Patient Experience

Patient experience committees are being established to look at the patient journey, and there are now end-to-end patient experience platforms available, such as DX five. These platforms provide information to the patient, including preparation for procedures, but they do not address the issue of getting the patient to the right location. Integrating with hospital systems and being able to send out links and QR codes to patients is one solution to address this issue through BindiMaps.

What’s Next for BindiMaps

Joseph talks about how this technology is becoming an expectation rather than a nice-to-have, and how Bindy Maps’ simple technology using low energy Bluetooth beacons can be installed in hospitals within 48 hours. He is excited about the future of indoor navigation being as readily available just like outdoor navigation. 

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