Own control over health
Obstacles
Visiting a hospital is quite exciting for most people. What is it like if you are partially sighted or blind? Can you actually visit a hospital on your own then? No, according to research conducted by the Bartiméus Fund together with expertise partners.
One interviewee shared the following experience: “I am blind and wanted to go to a hospital appointment unaccompanied. But I couldn't. I couldn't find the entrance or the route to the polyclinic. That caused me a lot of stress.”
High cost
This does not only apply to people with visual impairments, by the way. Did you know that for people with anxiety disorders and those with low literacy levels, going to hospital is very stressful? And this stress has major consequences: failing to keep an appointment at the last minute, always needing guidance to keep an appointment, wandering through the hospital, arriving late for an appointment. This involves high costs.
Utrecht Diakonessenhuis tackles stress
Own management
Utrecht's Diakonessenhuis (NL) wants to be a hospitable hospital for everyone. They therefore took up the challenge of reducing stress among them. Implementation of the eZwayZ app has begun.
By the way, the scan taken of the building can also be used for building management. After scanning the building, a 3D model is created using the so-called ‘point cloud’.
In the eZwayZ cloud management module, all destinations, paths, obstacles (thresholds and stairs) and other Points of Interest (toilets, lifts, restaurants or coffee corners) are added. Management can be done by Diakonessenhuis itself. New navigation paths can be entered and, for example, temporarily closed or modified. Internal relocations can also be implemented easily this way.
The addition of the Public Transport module allows visitors to travel to the hospital independently by public transport. This module provides up-to-date departure times of public transport to and from the hospital and navigates the visitor to the right bus stop. So for a visit, a person only needs 1 app.
Keeping appointments
With the eZwayZ app, visiting a hospital becomes less stressful and visually impaired people can attend appointments independently.
Extra modules
If the Visitor module is added then messages can also be entered and spoken, such as ‘Welcome to the Diakonessenhuis reception area’ or ‘ Welcome to the Oncology waiting room’.
With the OV module, visitors only need to use 1 app to travel to the hospital.
Experience for yourself?
Scan or click on the QR code to download the app. And visit the Rijksmuseum, NEMO or the Media Museum in the Netherlands to experience the app for yourself. Or visit the AFAS Experience Center in Leusden.
