In healthcare, communication is key. Patients must receive adequate and comprehensible information regarding their care and services. That’s crucial because information access can make the difference in either enforcing or diminishing underlying healthcare disparities.
But how can health information be conveyed to different segments and cohorts? Well, one study found that 95 percent of health leaders said that adopting digital tools have helped them engage with patients. Digital communication tools can help providers reach patients where they are.
Such digital engagement tools can range from online patient portals to digital signage within healthcare facilities. While signage can be a valuable tool to inform and engage patients, it can also be a source of distress and confusion.
Unless the signage is planned carefully, patients may not be able to read or comprehend the important information that providers are trying to convey. It’s crucial that healthcare organizations ensure that their digital signage is accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities.
But where do you start?
The importance of accessibility
Digital signage can convey important information to patients and staff alike. However, if digital signage is not designed with accessibility in mind, it can reinforce existing disparities and barriers, which can have a negative impact on patient outcomes, satisfaction, and health literacy.
The requirements for accessibility are also a matter of law. The Affordable Care Act mandated that healthcare organizations make their information and communications technology (ICT) accessible to people with disabilities. This includes health websites, mobile apps, software, and digital signage. So, if signage isn’t accessible, the health organization can be found liable for discrimination.
Consequently, digital signage must be designed to cater to people with disabilities, including visual, hearing, and mobility impairments. Patients must be able to read and understand the content provided, no matter the medium.
To ensure they are meeting legal requirements, and offering adequate care, healthcare providers need to listen to disability organizations and the ADA on how to create and display their messaging.
Making easy to read signage
When healthcare facilities are choosing and creating digital displays, it’s important they do so with a wide breadth of disabilities in mind. For instance, consider that patients with visual impairments may struggle to read small text or words against low contrast images.
Even fully sighted people have trouble reading highly saturated signs in appointment waiting rooms, so just imagine what it’s like for patients with visual impairments. Between contrast, text height and spacing, line wrapping, and display time, there are many factors that go into making a “readable” digital sign, but these design aspects are often overlooked and the signage comes out looking like a high school powerpoint presentation or a mid-‘90s website.
So, for starters, avoid complicated images and keep it simple with a plain single-color background. And be sure to have clear and easy-to-read fonts, such as Arial and Helvetica, which are considered the most accessible fonts by disability rights organizations. Select the font size based on the maximum distance from the screen. As a good rule of thumb, think in doubles. For instance, if patients will be sitting 10 feet away, the font can be 20 pt, but if they’re sitting 15 feet away, it should be at least 30 pt.
It’s also important to think beyond the visuals into also what the information actually is and how it’s conveyed. When it comes to explaining medical issues, stick for simple yet accurate messaging. The last thing you want is for your patients to be left confused because the complex medical terminology left them scratching their heads.
This is why it is helpful for healthcare providers to use plain, straightforward language as opposed to fancy medical jargon. Be concise and accurate, but be simple. And limit the amount of text per display.
Other accessibility options
Beyond text, healthcare providers can also use symbols and pictures to convey information that may be difficult to understand, whether because patients don’t speak the language or have trouble reading. While signage should always be multilingual, you can’t cater to every language in the world in one display, so visuals are helpful references.
Moreover, digital signage must be accompanied by auditory and tactile devices, or it’s not really accessible at the end of the day. There are numerous accessibility options available, including braille boards, audio descriptions, and closed captioning. Audio descriptions provide a spoken narration of what is happening in a video, while closed captions provide a text version of the audio content. And for braille, there are integrated keyboards – coined refreshable braille displays – that can change the keys based on the current output, which creates dynamic rather than static tactile messaging and changes as the digital display does.
Supporting equity
Beyond legal requirements, accessible digital signage in healthcare is also a moral obligation to ensure that everyone has equal access to health information. By creating accessible signage, healthcare providers can promote equity and make a dent in the marginalization of people with disabilities. Bottom line: Everyone deserves to know and understand their care options.
