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1. Why has SPARK TSL acquired Hospedia?
2. Our Trust uses Hospedia. What happens now?
3. How does the new patient engagement vision impact my Trust?
4. How will the new Bedside solution benefit Trusts?
5. How will the new Bedside solution affect staff?
6. Is there a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution?
7. What is the next generation of Patient Engagement Platforms?
Q1: Why has SPARK TSL acquired Hospedia?
Hospedia's bedside entertainment units were initially rolled out in the early 2000s to replace TV sets on ward trolleys and payphones in hospital corridors. They were rolled out at no cost to Trusts and therefore, patients paid to access services. At the time, this was a step in the right direction. However, technology moves on quickly and the patient pays model is still in place. This reduces the value and patient experience of the Bedside Units.
Following Hospedia's acquisition by SPARK TSL's parent company, Volaris Group, the company now has the resources to implement a unified solution. We're championing the cause of patients receiving entertainment and engagement services for free.
SPARK TSL's Management Team is now leading both businesses and is driving the vision of integrating the two companies to benefit the healthcare market. The vision is to facilitate patient, staff and visitor access to entertainment and engagement services within healthcare facilities for free.
To realise this vision, we need the help of the NHS and healthcare entities.
Q2: Our Trust uses Hospedia. What happens now?
Our long term goal is to oversee the transformation of around 50 thousand Bedside Units in 160 hospitals to support the free entertainment and engagement vision. In the meantime, the service will run as normal. Patients can access the 24/7/365 call centre, the Bedside Units will be monitored and repaired, the movie selection will continue to be updated.
There are 3 upgrade options available to Trusts.
1. Cover the cost of TV services on the Bedside Units. (Approximately £1 per bed, per day)
2. Work with SPARK TSL to build out resources, surveys and links on the Bedside Units and encourage their use through Marketing materials.
3. Upgrade to SPARK Fusion. This new solution provides a managed tablet solution with iPads at the bedside (or similar technology). They can function as bedside units, either physically mounted in a locked down case, or resting on a plate. This solution is focused on patient engagement, elevating pressures on staff through HL7 integration with existing healthcare systems and saving Trusts money.
The BYOD solution can work alongside the existing Bedside Units and can then be upgraded to SPARK Fusion, which will offer the technological advantages of modern, up to date equipment.
Q3: How does the new patient engagement vision impact my Trust?
The vision aims to provide a better balance between BYOD entertainment and information for staff, visitors and patients waiting to be admitted. And patient engagement systems for patients who have been admitted. With some Trusts having solutions that utilise one or the other, and few Trusts engaging in both, it's time to provide equal entertainment opportunities for all patients.
Legacy bedside entertainment units were installed a long time ago at no cost to the Trusts. However, maintaining them has been expensive and the technology has failed to keep up with digital transformation. Our vision is to provide Trusts with up to date technology that will support a wide range of applications and facilitate the installation of the units where they are most needed.
The BYOD solution will work ubiquitously throughout the Trust, giving users access to a range of engagement opportunities such as television, hospital radio, games, charity awareness and educational content.
Moving away from the patient-pays model currently in place will need investment from the Trust and/or the charities that support them. However, we estimate that for most Trusts, a payment of less than £1 per bed per day would cover the cost of a free service.
Q4: How will the new Bedside solution benefit Trusts?
It prioritises free engagement opportunities for patients
Of course, the key benefit is offering free entertainment to patients. However, SPARK TSL offers variety to ensure everyone finds something to entertain themselves. Patients can choose from a range of options, including TV, radio, catch up TV, a digital newsstand and games. Patients can also access their favourite streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. However, they'll need to already have an established account.
Services are integrated
In addition to this, SPARK TSL can easily integrate with a range of digital services, including clinical records and digital meal ordering. The integration with food services allows patients to order meals directly from their bed and easily cancel, amend or redirect their orders as circumstances change. All digital service integrations aim to improve the quality of care and positively impact the patient experience.
It offers wellness & support
Dementia support services, communication aids and health videos are just some of the wellbeing options available on the platform to enable patients to take control of their care. With an empowered selection of resources, these applications ensure patients can be looked after and remain engaged without the presence of a staff member.
The latest technology to empower your Trust
With our new vision, we'll continually develop the software to bring the best technology to the NHS and healthcare organisations. This includes tailoring the services and engagement opportunities to patients and staff. While the technology may span the breadth of the NHS, your Trust’s solution will be tailored to your patients down to ward level.
Q5: How will the new Bedside solution affect staff?
It'll increase productivity & efficiency
Using the bedside units to access Trust IT systems would make it easier for staff to use electronic systems at the bedside without finding a computer on wheels or returning to a ward station to make up notes and orders.
With patients being entertained and more self-sufficient, members of staff are freed up for other tasks. Smart Nurse Calling will allow patients to speficy their needs so the request can be dealt with appropriately. This system integrates to the existing Nurse Call function to provide ease of use for staff.
With a unified solution giving access to Trust-specific surveys, patients can provide feedback informing staff of their opinions before, during and after their stay. This allows Trusts to make positive changes which will increase patient satisfaction.
It provides added value
The platform is continually being developed in conjunction with Trusts and healthcare professionals. SPARK TSL welcomes input on how it can make life easier for staff.
By leveraging existing infrastructure, Trusts can ensure entertainment accessible for everyone, with or without their personal device and can be transformed to better suit staff and encourage digital maturity in the most effective way possible.
Q6: Is there a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution?
Ideally, Trusts need choice, flexibility and productivity. The best complete solution for hospitals would be to create a unified experience, replace Bedside Units with the new bedside solution, SPARK Fusion, and offer a BYOD solution.
This ensures the latest offerings and services are available and that patients don't have to pay for entertainment. What’s more, all patients, regardless of age or digital savviness, can use it. Futhermore, staff can use portable devices when on the move or tap into SPARK Fusion through admin log in features.
If Trusts aren’t ready to upgrade to our next-generation technology, existing Hospedia sites can upgrade to add our BYOD SPARK® Media solution. This gives patients access to free live TV on the BYOD system and services like Netflix and Amazon Video, where they already have accounts.
We'll reduce the cost to patients on the existing Bedside Units with Trust/Charity/Sponsorship funding.
Q7: What is the next generation of patient engagement platforms?
The next generation of this service will be SPARK Fusion, that can function as bedside units, either physically mounted in a locked down case, or resting on a plate. This solution is focused on patient engagement, elevating pressures on staff through HL7 integration with existing healthcare systems and saving Trusts money. This will be a game-changer for the NHS.
This latest solution is thanks to SPARK TSLs latest acquisition of Sentean.
Read more about the benefits of SPARK Fusion.