Jacksonville, Fl. – In order to create an environment where patients feel more at ease and more comfortable, Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) today announced the first installation of its Ambient Experience solutions in an X-ray setting at Nemours Children’s Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, one of the nation’s leading pediatric health systems, caring for nearly 250,000 children annually. The Philips Ambient Experience team worked closely with Nemours staff on the overall floor plan of the Medical Imaging department, as well as the design of two digital radiography rooms.
Ambient Experience integrates architecture, design and enabling technology (e.g. lighting, sound, projection) to create an engaging environment that is more efficient for caregivers in addition to being less stressful to patients. Using a touchscreen tablet to set the room theme, soothing lights, visuals and sound immediately fill the atmosphere.
Clinicians at Nemours find offering a calming experience to patients helps exams go more smoothly. “There’s a sense of curiosity and interest in the room itself that helps keep patients’ minds off of the actual exams. They feel a sense of empowerment when given the chance to choose their own environment," said Debbie Merinbaum, MD, chairperson, division of pediatric radiology, department of medical imaging, Nemours Children’s Clinic, Jacksonville. “We’ve also found Ambient Experience helps reduce patient movement, which can contribute to shorter exam times and increase throughput. The entire solution helps improve clinical workflow.”
“Ambient Experience goes beyond lights and sounds. It’s an overall patient-focused design strategy,” said Thomas van Elzakker, general manager, Ambient Experience, Philips Healthcare. “Even the location of dressing rooms is key. At Nemours, they are situated to allow patients to move directly from the public area into the imaging room to enhance privacy. We also pay special attention to the overall floor plan in order to separate clinical staff work areas from patient and family traffic, improving productivity and helping to make families feel more at ease.”
Lorie Gordon brought her daughter, Gracyn, into Nemours Children’s Clinic, Jacksonville recently to have an X-ray taken of her daughter’s arm after she had hyper-extended her elbow while visiting a theme park in Orlando. The mother said, “The entire visit at Nemours was amazing. We had previously had a very bad X-ray experience at another hospital that literally left Gracyn terrified of additional procedures. The Philips Ambient Experience at Nemours, however, took my screaming four-year-old and turned her into a happy and very focused little girl. The doctors were wonderful and the jungle-themed animation really took her attention away from the procedure itself. She was actually excited to come back.”
First unveiled for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) settings, Ambient Experience is now available in combination with Philips digital radiography and fluoroscopy room solutions. Ambient Design creates uncluttered, ergonomically designed work environments with integrated storage, recessed counters and concealed waste bins.