ess Court Denies Employer's Successive Application for Hearing as Lacking Probable Cause By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld a decision by the Workers’ Compensation Commission denying an employer’s successive application for a hearing as being unsupported by probable cause. In December 2022, Jessica… Full Article
ess DWC Posts 2025 Health Care Provider Assessment Plan By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 04 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800 The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation will evaluate health care providers on two measures as part of its 2025 performance-based oversight assessment process. The DWC said it will assess providers on… Full Article
ess PCRB Posts Reminder of Deadline to Request 2009 Assessment Refund By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800 The Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau announced that eligible carriers can request refunds of 2009 work comp security fund assessments through Feb. 24. Gov. Josh Shapiro in July signed HB 2310, a… Full Article
ess Legal Specialization Test Prep - Ethics and Professional Responsibility By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 30 May 2019 10:58:07 -0700 Hon. Clint Feddersen designed this course to prepare experienced workers' compensation attorneys to become California Certified Legal Specialists in Workers' Compensation Law. Full Article
ess CMS Clarifies Use of Non-Submit WCMSAs To Address Future Medical By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 29 Mar 2022 08:33:30 -0700 As a national leader on all components of workers compensation education, WorkCompCentral continues to provide exceptional opportunities to learn about all aspects of work comp law, policy, procedures, and practice. Full Article
ess PEO's: Professional Employer Organizations = A Shell Game? and Prosecution & Defense of UE Cases By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 21 Mar 2022 08:23:06 -0700 This is a four-hour MCLE program that addresses the specific issues of the prosecution and defense of cases involving employee leasing companies, general-special employment law, and handling cases when the… Full Article
ess Intro To Motivational Interviewing for Claims Professionals By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 17 Oct 2022 11:54:05 -0700 In this webinar, attendees will learn how Motivational Interviewing can be used to improve communication with injured worker patients. MI involves practical, empathetic, and short-term processes that take into consideration… Full Article
ess City of San Diego - A Biopsychosocial Success Story By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 26 Jan 2024 10:21:43 -0800 This session highlights the successes of a unique partnership between City of San Diego and Institutes of Health, a company specializing in the delivery of biopsychosocial care. Panelists will underscore… Full Article
ess Part 1 - PTSD Awareness for Work Comp Professionals By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 06 May 2024 08:09:12 -0700 Institutes of Health is proud to present a 2-part webinar series to help raise awareness of PTSD in conjunction with PTSD Awareness Month during the month of June. In Part… Full Article
ess Department Can Order Reimbursement of Witness Fees By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 16 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Wyoming Supreme Court ruled that the state's Workers’ Compensation Division has the authority to order reimbursement of an employee’s reasonably incurred medical expert witness fees. Case: Leal v. State ex… Full Article
ess High Court Finds Worker's Heart Attack Wasn't Product of Unusual Stress By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Wyoming Supreme Court ruled that a man's heart attack on his third day of work was not due to clearly unusual or abnormal employment stress for those in his… Full Article
ess Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Workers' Comp Fraud By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation announced that the owner of an electrical service company pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation fraud and has paid restitution of nearly $16,000. BWC’s Special Investigations Department received… Full Article
ess Mediation Process for Comp Claims Not Mandatory By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 07 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled that the mediation scheme established by statute and regulation is discretionary, not mandatory. Case: Duke v. GE Haier, No. 2024-CA-0098-WC, and Long v. Universal Linen,… Full Article
ess Court Orders DLI to Decide Reasonableness of Worker's Refusal to Attend Appointment By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 28 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Montana Workers’ Compensation Court ruled that the Department of Labor & Industry needed to make a finding as to the reasonableness of a worker’s refusal to attend a therapy… Full Article
ess Injured Firefighter Successfully Challenges Reduction in Benefits By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700 A Louisiana appellate court ruled that an injured firefighter’s benefits were wrongly reduced and that he was entitled to full reinstatement, plus an award of penalties and attorney fees. Case: Prevost… Full Article
ess Supreme Court Clarifies Statutory Review Process for Comp Cases By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 02 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The South Carolina Supreme Court seized an opportunity to clarify the statutory review process for workers' compensation cases in addressing an injured correctional officer’s long-pending claim. Gena Cain Davis worked as… Full Article
ess Brief anger may impair blood vessel function By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 01 May 2024 09:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: When adults became angry after remembering past experiences, the function of cells lining the blood vessels was negatively impaired, which may restrict blood flow. Previous research has found that this may increase the risk of... Full Article
ess Early diagnosis & treatment of peripheral artery disease essential to improve outcomes, reduce amputation risk By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 14 May 2024 18:00:00 GMT Guideline Highlights: The new joint guideline from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology provides recommendations to guide clinicians in the treatment of patients with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) and ... Full Article
ess 30-year risk of cardiovascular disease may help inform blood pressure treatment decisions By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 15 Jul 2024 09:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: A comparison of two tools for calculating cardiovascular disease risk found that if only the current 10-year risk thresholds are applied, fewer adults may be recommended for blood pressure-lowering medication. The tools, The... Full Article
ess Popular home blood pressure monitoring cuff devices may not fit some US adults By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: An analysis of at-home blood-pressure monitors estimates that the arm cuffs for 10 of the most popular potentially do not fit up to 18 million adults in the U.S. and nearly 12% of Black adults. To ensure accurate blood pressure ... Full Article
ess Remote monitoring and pharmacist helped improve hard-to-control blood pressure By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: A new study finds that up to 74% of participants with resistant or difficult-to-control high blood pressure, including those with chronic kidney disease, were able to improve control of their blood pressure within 12 months after ... Full Article
ess Analysis found weight-loss surgery may help people with obesity manage high blood pressure By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: In an analysis of 18 randomized clinical trials, people with obesity and high blood pressure who underwent bariatric (weight-loss) surgery were almost three times more likely to achieve blood pressure remission, defined as... Full Article
ess High blood pressure a concern for adolescents and young adults in U.S. By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: In the first study, nearly 23% of young adults (ages 18-39 years) included in the NHANES 2017-2020 datasets had high blood pressure (130/80 mm Hg or greater). In addition, they were more likely to self-report being uninsured, food ... Full Article
ess Measure of body roundness may help to predict risk of cardiovascular disease By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 09:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: Body roundness index — a measure to reflect abdominal body fat and height that some health care professionals believe better reflects the proportion of body fat and visceral fat than body mass index — may help to predict a... Full Article
ess Photographing Fall Colors – Where is the Vividness That I Saw By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:08:00 +0000 Many times I've gone out to photograph the beautiful colors that blanket the trees in Fall. My mind and inner vision is completely lit up with these glowing embers that dance in the wind on the trees. At this moment and place nothing seems more wondrous and somehow these colors seems to permeate deep into my collective thoughts where vivid memories live. You may wonder why the need for all these flowery thoughts. Its because when I get home, what I see from the camera is nowhere near as spectacular as how I felt at the time. I do shoot in RAW format and I know that this format from the camera tends to be a little muted but even increasing the vibrancy, it still doesn’t come close to the mind's snapshot. I think that photographing the wondrous colors of fall is actually a hard thing to accomplish if you want to achieve the vision you had at the moment the shutter clicked. I believe there are 2 main reasons for this.First is that the reds, oranges and yellow of the leaves are highly saturated & luminous and beyond the ability of the camera's color gamut to capture. The color space of sRGB and Adobe RGB just don’t extend far enough to record these highly saturated and bright colors. Second the leaves normally have small moments in the wind and they appear to shimmer, thereby giving them the appearance in the mind's memory of being brighter. When I took the above photograph the yellows on these 2 trees did appear this bright. They glowed in the afternoon sun and were even brighter, almost like a candle flame, but upon reviewing the camera's result it was duller and more greenish-yellow. The image below is from camera with white balance on birch tree set to neutral white 5300K. You may find my modified version (1st photo) a bit gaudy but it does reflect how I felt about this scene. I darkened the sky to increase contrast between the 2 yellow tees. I also, for the greenish yellow leaves, shifted the hue to be more yellow and then increased lightness and saturation as much as I could and still retain detail. The grass was also darkened and made cooler, more blue-green, to again increase contrast with the yellow tops. In the photograph below the sun peeked out near sunset just after the rain had gone by and lit up this singular tree. Again the camera made those leaves less bright and more orange. Once again I increased lightness and saturation towards yellow for the bright leaves. I also added a purplish tint to clouds, (complementary color of yellow) to increase color contrast. I extracted the yellow leaves and increased layer size by 10 pixels and then added a slight blur of about 2 and set this layer to overlay. A pseudo Orton effect to give a glowing effect. In the next image below, the colors, except for a little vibrancy, remain mostly as captured. I did change the sky from a bright blue to a duller and less saturated version with clouds. The original blue negative space was too dominating and took viewers vision away from the tree colors. Many of the good fall photographs have lots of cooler and darker tones surrounding bright trees that help make those fall colors more prominent within the scene. If you have good photo-editing tools don't be afraid to play around and change anything to suit your needs and vision. After all, it's how you saw it at least in your mind. Niels Henriksen Full Article Fall Landscape
ess Targeted scientific research projects to demonstrate effectiveness of ‘food is medicine’ in health care By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 24 Jan 2024 14:00:00 GMT DALLAS, Jan. 24, 2024 — In an effort to identify effective food is medicine approaches for incorporating healthy food into health care delivery, the American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health... Full Article
ess Ruling in the Braidwood Case Continues Uncertainty Over Access to No-Cost Preventive Screenings By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Fri, 21 Jun 2024 21:00:00 GMT WASHINGTON, D.C., June 21, 2024 – Today, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals limited a lower court ruling that many health insurance plans would no longer be required to provide cost-free coverage of preventive services recommended by the United States... Full Article
ess Investment, action urged to improve access, quality and equity in women’s heart health By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 09 May 2022 09:00:00 GMT Advisory Highlights: Women continue to be underrepresented in research for cardiovascular disease (CVD), leading to gaps in knowledge and understanding of how CVD impacts women. Some risk factors for heart disease are specific to women, such as risks ... Full Article
ess Lightheadedness may be a symptom of atrial fibrillation, cardiomyopathy or stroke By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 09 Feb 2023 20:04:53 GMT Full Article
ess AI-powered tool may offer quick, no-contact blood pressure and diabetes screening By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 10:30:00 GMT Research Highlights: A preliminary study combining a patent-applied, AI-powered algorithm with a high-speed, 5-to 30-second video of skin on the face and the palm of the hand detected if someone had high blood pressure as well as using a blood ... Full Article
ess Fear of another heart attack may be a major source of ongoing stress for survivors By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 11:30:00 GMT Research Highlights: Fear of another heart attack was a significant ongoing contributor to how heart attack survivors perceive their health, according to a new study. While anxiety and depression are recognized as common conditions after a heart ... Full Article
ess Let’s talk about sex: Heart patients want guidance from health care professionals By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: A small survey of adults aged 30 to 89 (average age of 65) in Sweden who have heart conditions found that there is a significant difference between the sexual health information they seek and what is provided to them by their ... Full Article
ess Heart disease more common in past redlined areas linked to limited access to healthy foods By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 12:30:00 GMT Research Highlights: Heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity were more common and linked to reduced access to healthy food among people who lived in neighborhoods previously subjected to structural racism-based policies that ... Full Article
ess Updated guidance reaffirms CPR with breaths essential for cardiac arrest following drowning By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:00:00 GMT Updated Guideline Highlights: The American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics update recommendations for untrained lay rescuers and trained rescuers resuscitating adults and children who have drowned. One important update is the ... Full Article
ess Primary care professionals key to helping people achieve & maintain heart health By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 10:00:00 GMT Statement Highlights: A new scientific statement outlines the role of primary care professionals in helping their patients achieve Life's Essential 8, the key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health defined by the American Heart ... Full Article
ess Design Thinking: A Catalyst for Business Growth By designsojourn.com Published On :: Thu, 04 Jul 2024 02:53:14 +0000 Running a business is widely recognized as challenging, with the average startup lasting only about five years. While starting a business might seem straightforward, maintaining it proves to be the true test, a reality faced even by large multinational corporations. Consider this: nearly 90%... The post Design Thinking: A Catalyst for Business Growth appeared first on Design Sojourn. Please click above if you cannot see this post. Full Article Articles Design Leadership Entrepreneurship designthinking innovation strategy
ess Website tracking & addressing your privacy By www.designworkplan.com Published On :: 2022-01-26T00:00:00Z On our website designworkplan we used Google Analytics for collecting visitors data. When we started the blog way back in 2008 it was a good way to find out which content viewers of our website liked and disliked. A user-friendly dashboard to find out important metrics related to viewers of the website. Google Analytics gave us insights on popular pages and were people visited our website from. This allowed us to target those audiences more and as a result we gained traction to our (design) website. Our content evolves around design, typography and wayfinding. Wayfinding is a design niche that focusses at connecting people to information and environments. If you want to learn more about wayfinding, please read our page Introduction to Wayfinding. Over time Google Analytics grew in complexity to an extend we have a hard time understanding the metrics shown in the dashboards. Google Analytics back to the future In the beginning Google Analytics was plain and simple, the right fit for our design content. As a content creator we are interested in how visitors perceive information on our website. Information about popular pages, demographics and referral sources are meaningful for establishing an understanding of what visitors are looking for. Privacy and data collection Over time we realized Google used our collected data for their benefits. Although Google says to “never” sell any personal information. The collective gathered information through Google Analytics is an immense source of valuable information about browser behaviour online. Not only it provides information on topics people are interested in, it also gives information about reading time, bounce rates and related information people are interested in. Maybe Google doesn’t use the information gathered from our website, but sure it can create a broader sense of what people in general are interested in. As Google remains to control most of the internet search queries and related internet services such as advertising. Google can combine Analytics and Adwords to maximize their profit ratio. In other words, we believe as Google has a tremendous amount of information from the Analytics part of their database. The Adwords part of Google will benefit from this information, as they are familiar with what people search for and what related information people would be interested in. Our most popular posts on the blog Over the years we have published many articles on the blog. Via our visitors data tracking we could see these are our most popular posts: A arrow symbol collection, with over 1M (Million) downloads! 56 Free Arrow Symbols & Icons The guide into color contrast for sign and wayfinding design. Signs and color contrast A free collection of 50 common used symbol signs. Symbol Sign Collection Our series about typography did very well over the last years, including the following articles: An example collection of typeface usages with Arial. Arial is everywhere Another collection with FF Meta typeface examples FF Meta is everywhere Our book series are popular with the following reviews: A comprehensive book about wayfinding by David Gibson. The Wayfinding Handbook The industry standard for learning about wayfinding by Per Mollerup. Wayfinding > Wayshowing Over the years we have continued our writing, consider looking at our blog to learn more about wayfinding. Seamless reading experience We are wayfinding and information designers. Our core services evolve around information, people and places. Connecting information at the right time and place. As we are browsing the internet, the reading experiences are mostly dreadful. Pop-ups, reminders, boxes, ads, etc. At our website we want people to enjoy our content, without having to read privacy policies and forcing visitors to click "Accept" buttons. We want to create a seamless reading experience without distractions. The brilliant website How I Experience Web Today is a fantastic example of most browsing experiences today. So familiar, yet so disappointing experiences. According to research the average internet user spends ~3 hours online every day, visiting anywhere from 5 up-tp 100 website each day. Imagine the time lost for accepting all those cookies each and every day. Recently it came to our attention that Google Analytics is in conflicts with European regulations and is not fully GDPR complaint. In relationship to the cookie, accept privacy terms and UX issues it got us to rethink the analytics part of our website. From past to present As we want to comply to European guidelines regarding data collection and to create a seamless reading experience, we started to seek an alternative for Google Analytics. As also found Google Analytics was found illegal in an Austrian court decision. The details of that decision can be found here From here our search began looking for an alternative way to collect visitors data at our website. We have tried other different analytics services, which include: Matomo analytics, a self hosted analytics service. Comes with many features and is free to use. We have found installing the software and dashboard somewhat complicated to use. Statscounter, great alternative. The dashboard has a good UX design and the service has many features to track visitors behaviour. Statscounter is an anonymous web tracking service which is good to become GDPR compliant. The paid version starts at $19,- per month. Fathom, a very user friendly interface, cookie-free and GDPR proof with anonymous web tracking. Starting at $14,- per month. ($140,- p/y) Our research was plain simple, trying out the services as mentioned above for ~14 days. The experiment gave us insights on what we wanted to see in our analytics, useful metrics, ease of use, GDPR free. As running websites is NOT our daily focus, we found out our needs are UX and ease of use based. Meaning a single dashboard solution, main metrics and great UX design. In our quest for the Google Analytics alternative we landed at Fathom Analytics. Example Fathom Analytics Dashboard Use Fathom Analytics Our basic requirements are formulated as following: GDPR Proof and anonymous pageview tracking Fast loading script, by-passing ad blockers and no cookies Easy to use dashboard, in one overview Information about pages, average time on site/page and traffic sources Information about devices, browsers and countries Possibility to track specific actions or events on webpages (easy funnel) Track multiple websites in one dashboard/account As we deploy multiple websites, a single dashboard solution is ideal to gain overview insights on performance. Reading experience & privacy Our website and content creation is focussed on providing niche information for design, typography and wayfinding. In our opinion Google Analytics has become a complex platform with too many functionalities. We understand that professional website creators and builders could use Google Analytics to its full potential. We simply want to put out great content and gather information about the visitors to our website. Our goal is provide a visitor to our website a seamless reading experience and enjoying our content without annoying pop-ups or related privacy issues. From now on forward we have disabled Google Analytics from our websites and are fully compliant with European regulation around collecting information from visitors on our website. Fathom is a paid service which collects anonymous data from visitors on our websites. We are using a $140,- yearly plan for collecting visitors data from our websites. Full disclosure We work as a designers for Google Offices, where we develop and create wayfinding solutions for their visitors and employees. We respect Google for their vision and the way how they organize their workplaces, people and environments. At our website (designworkplan) we have chosen to use fathom for reasons stated in this article. We are not paid or sponsored by usefathom. If you want to support us, please use our affiliate link below. Final thoughts This post is different from our usual design content, we wanted to be fully transparant in the way how we collect visitors data from our websites. Consider thinking about the way you collect visitors data at your website(s). If you are planning to use Fathom, consider using our referral link (highly appreciated) Use Fathom referral code CCPSXY Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) What is GDPR? Regulation on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (Data Protection Directive). Link to GDPR Full Article
ess Essential Design Principles for Hospital Wayfinding [2023] By www.designworkplan.com Published On :: 2023-03-21T00:00:00Z Wayfinding Finding your way in a hospital setting can be tricky. The stress of finding a department or destination in a (unfamiliar) building can a challenging experience. What is there was a way to make finding your way in a hospital easier? This is where design discipline wayfinding comes into play and has the potential to improve the patient experience. Wayfinding is a multidisciplinary design field that combines principles of cognitive psychology and human behavior for a better understanding of the surroundings. For hospitals, wayfinding aims to address the following critical issues: How can we make it improve wayfinding for patients? Which design principles can assist to enhance the visitors experience? How can we create an accessible environment for all users, including people with disabilities? In this article we will explore the importance of wayfinding principles in hospitals. The challenges we face along the way and the innovative solutions that will improve the way patients navigate healthcare settings. By exploring the role of both traditional and digital wayfinding tools, we will highlight the potential of well-designed wayfinding to improve wayfinding in hospitals. The goal is an improved patient experience and ultimately to contribute to reduced stress when visiting a hospital. The challenges of hospital signage Orienting and navigating a hospital environment can be challenging for patients, visitors and even medical staff. With wayfinding research we can look through the 'eyes' of the users and understand the bottlenecks and success factors of effective wayfinding. In this chapter we explore the main challenges of signage and take a closer look at why these problems can arise. A. Complexity of buildings Signage 'shows' people the way in buildings and environments. A hospital building is usually a large building with several floors, wings and departments. A hospital can have more than 100 different departments, from Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Surgery, Internal Medicine to Orthopedics, Radiology and Oncology. This can include many subspecialties. A hospital usually consists of many departments and specialists, located throughout the hospital building, connected by squares and corridors. Why can a hospital building have a complicated or confusing layout? Due to expansion and renovations, buildings can be adapted over time. Expansion of wings and/or, for example, an attached building can lead to a confusing layout. Due to functional requirements of departments, part of the hospital may not be accessible. As a result, to reach a certain department, you can get there via a detour. How does (building) complexity affect patients and visitors? A complicated layout brings increased stress. Can I find the department? Am I on time? Difficulty finding departments. Where is department xx? How do I get to the department? Why are hospital environments naturally stressful? Due to health problems and emotional nature, a hospital can be experienced as stressful. What do I have? Can the doctor help me? Due to time-bound appointments and procedures in a hospital. Am I on time? Where is...? How does this stress affect signage? Due to increased stress, people (usually) have a reduced ability to process information. Where should I look? Due to an increased reliance on intuitive references. How does the signage work? What are the unique signage challenges that different users face? Patients, visitors are not familiar with the layout of the building. Where's what? Patients, visitors have cognitive or physical limitations. May have difficulty processing the information. Non-native speakers and/or have difficulty reading the signage. Why is it important to consider user needs when designing signage? Ensuring accessibility and inclusiveness principles, design-for-all concept. Reduce the risk of disorientation On time for an appointment Consistent information provision towards a patient and visitor gives peace of mind in orienting and navigating in an (unfamiliar) environment. Why can it be difficult to maintain consistency in hospital signage systems? Due to the variety of systems and information provision around patient information. Information such as on the website, call letter, reception desk, ticket, referral letter and signage must be consistent for a clear picture towards the patient, visitor. By examining these challenges in wayfinding research, we understand the user and thereby identify bottlenecks and success factors. Wayfinding strategy for hospitals In this chapter we discuss different ways of referring that can help improve orientation and navigation in the hospital. By implementing these strategies, hospitals become more user-friendly and accessible, reducing the stress associated with navigating healthcare facilities. Well-thought-out signage This includes clear, concise, and easy-to-understand signage at key decision points, such as at entrances, hallways, elevators, stairways, and wards. Ensure consistency in design, colors and typography for clear communication. Example: A hospital can create a wing layout for different departments such as A, B, C, D, etc. making it easier for users to track their destination. Landmarks and Visual Recognition Points: Including landmarks and visual identifiers in the hospital environment can aid orientation and make it easier for users to remember the route. Example: Placing distinctive artwork, architectural features or color schemes as landmarks in the hospital. Digital Wayfinding: Digital wayfinding, such as interactive kiosks, mobile apps and touchscreens, can provide real-time information and personalized directions to help users navigate the hospital more easily. Example: Digital screens in the hospital for displaying relevant information for users. Where am I? Where can I find department xx? And how do I get there? Staff training and support: Ensuring that medical staff and employees are well aware of the signage system and tone-of-voice towards patients and visitors. Example: A hospital could offer training sessions to employees to familiarize them with the signage and teach them how to effectively help visitors navigate the hospital. Inclusive Design and Accessibility: Hospitals should be accessible to everyone, including people with reduced mobility, the visually impaired or the hearing impaired. Ensure that (digital) signage takes these groups into account by using clear, high-contrast fonts, tactile elements, Braille and audio signals where appropriate. Example: Tactile markings on the floor or braille signs assist to the help the visually impaired to navigate the building and find the right department. By implementing these signage strategies and addressing bottlenecks and success factors, healthcare facilities can significantly improve the user experience of patients, visitors and staff. This leads to less stress, increased satisfaction and ultimately better healthcare outcomes. Digital wayfinding in hospitals Digitization in signage is important for improving the overall user experience in a hospital. Digital tools provide real-time information, personalized routes and additional resources to assist patients and visitors in navigating complex hospital environments. In this chapter we discuss examples and use cases for digital wayfinding. Real Time Information: Digital signage can provide real-time information and updates about, for example, waiting times, routes and where you are in a hospital. Example: Digital information signs can display the current waiting times for departments and/or other hospital services. Integration with Social Media and Online Communication: A social media integration platform to assist patients and visitors plan their visit, receive (route) information and share feedback. Example: A hospital can implement a (AI) chatbot to assist users for navigating questions, ask for directions, and for instance scheduling appointments. Digital Screens: Interactive screens can provide patients with real-time information about their destination, directions and additional services such as finding a nearby restroom or coffee corner. Example: A hospital can place interactive screens or a kiosk at the entrance and install it on every floor, where visitors can receive personalized route information. Mobile Information : Show relevant information on digitale signage screens, such as routes and destinations in the hospital. Think about including a "you are here" on a map and/or use directory signs for an overview of departments. Example: A hospital can display the information in a mobile environment, which is linked to the hospital's website. Augmented Reality (AR) Signage: AR technology could overlay digital information in the real environment, such as arrows and text, using a smartphone's camera. Example: An overlay that guides users using digital cues that overlap with the real environment. The implementation of digital signage in hospitals creates an integrated patient experience and approach. The starting point is to use technology for a more personalized route and real-time updates, resulting in an improved user experience. Wayfinding scenarios In this chapter we discuss different scenarios for referring users in a hospital building. A new or existing hospital building usually has an entrance, exit, atrium, floors, corridors and wards. Destinations in a hospital can be 'coded' by using a wayfinding strategy. By means of a reference key it is possible to easily reach destinations. Below are a few examples: Route numbers Organizing the hospital with route numbers. This means that each destination gets a route number. Patients, visitors use the route number to reach a destination. Route numbers can be ascending or linked to, for example, a floor. Example: Route 142, where 1 stands for floor 1 and 42 is the sequential number. This way you can always find where you are in a hospital. Wing layout With wing layouts, lift points such as elevators or stairs are classified with a name or letters. For example A, B, C, D, etc. With wing layouts, the letters are usually followed by a number, which stands for the floor. Example: C2, where C stands for the wing and 3 for the floor. An addition of a number can indicate even further specifications, such as C2-12. Where, for example, 12 is the waiting area on wing C floor 2. User-friendly (digital) additions This scenario adds tactile and auditory information to wayfinding scenarios for reaching foreign speaking people or for people who have difficulty walking or have reduced vision capacity. Testing the wayfinding scenarios is important to gain feedback from users. A scenario is building, process and user-related. Implementing a clear and concise wayfinding scenario improves an intuitive way finding destinations in a hospital. Main Takeaway Explanation Importance of wayfinding principles An integrated approach in wayfinding contributes to the improvement of routing and hospital experience. Challenges in hospital signage Hospitals face challenges due to the (complex) layout, time-sensitive and emotional nature of visits, and various user needs. Wayfinding strategy An effective wayfinding strategy includes clear signage, landmarks, digital tools, and staff training focused on the (end) user. Digital wayfinding solutions Digital wayfinding solutions, such as real-time information, integration with social media, digital screens, mobile apps, and AR, can enhance the overall user experience. Wayfinding scenarios Different wayfinding scenarios, such as route numbers, wing layouts, and user-friendly digital additions, can be deployed to improve the patient journey in hospitals. Conclusion A wayfinding design strategy plays an important role in improving the user experience in a hospital. Implementing a well-thought-out wayfinding strategy and scenarios, users can orientate and navigate more easily. The starting point is to improve the user experience, which contributes to a positive image of the hospital. The roll-out of both fixed and digital wayfinding tools, such as signage and digital displays, can help provide an integrated approach and experience tailored to users' requirements and needs. In conclusion, a wayfinding design and strategy are indispensable for creating an accessible, safe and user-friendly environment in hospitals. It is vital that hospitals and wayfinding design studios work together to implement effective solutions that help patients, visitors and staff navigate and feel comfortable in these complex environments. Let's work together More on hospital wayfinding, contact us → FAQ Why is wayfinding important in hospitals? Wayfinding is an integrated approach for orienting and navigating in buildings, aimed at the (end) user. It provides an easy way to navigate, reduces stress and saves time. What is a wayfinding design? Signage is a physical or digital element which shows wayfinding information or a map. Multiple signs creates an information network for people to understand and navigate places, building or area. What is a wayfinding strategy? A wayfinding strategy involves creating an effective and user-friendly wayfinding system to help people navigate and orient themselves in complex environments such as hospitals. How does wayfinding work in hospitals? Hospital wayfinding uses both fixed and digital signage to provide an integrated experience tailored to users' needs and desires. What are some challenges in implementing wayfinding in hospitals? Some challenges in implementing wayfinding in hospitals include dealing with complex and changing building structures, ensuring accessibility for all users, and ensuring consistency and accuracy in the information provided. Who is wayfinding for? Wayfinding design is intended for everyone entering a hospital, including patients, visitors and staff. It helps them navigate the hospital more easily and improves their overall experience. 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ess How to Find the Best Free WordPress Hosting By www.photoshoplady.com Published On :: Tue, 14 Jul 2020 17:09:15 +0000 Website owners can spend hundreds of dollars a month on web hosting alone! But if you operate a WordPress site, it is possible to spend $0 a month on hosting. That’s right: free WordPress hosting does exist, provided you know where to look. Of course, with anything that’s free, it’s essential to prioritize quality. Not all cheap WordPress hosts offer lightning-fast speeds and stellar service. In this post, we discuss tips for finding the best free WordPress hosting that doesn’t sacrifice quality! 1. Identify Your Hosting Needs What does a WordPress host actually do? Hosting services ensure that your website is The post How to Find the Best Free WordPress Hosting appeared first on Photoshop Lady. Full Article Uncategorized
ess 6 Way to Upgrade the Look of Your WordPress By www.photoshoplady.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Jul 2020 18:41:27 +0000 Your website can be two things: an asset, or just there. The difference between the two can be very subtle, but have an online asset can drive business like you’ve never imagined. So, how do you turn your website from a random property into an asset for your business? By focusing on two major factors: style and performance. Get a New Theme One of the easiest ways to upgrade the look and feel of your WordPress website is by picking a new theme. There are tons of themes out there to choose from, so you just have to find the The post 6 Way to Upgrade the Look of Your WordPress appeared first on Photoshop Lady. Full Article Photo Effect
ess Top 10+ WordPress Themes To Check Out in 2023 By www.webappers.com Published On :: Wed, 04 Jan 2023 08:00:10 +0000 In its role of an online presence for your business, your website needs to represent your brand with nothing short of perfection. It is a task that is not necessarily all that easy to bring about. The right WordPress theme can make achieving that task not only doable, but if used to its full potential, […] The post Top 10+ WordPress Themes To Check Out in 2023 appeared first on WebAppers. Full Article Design Tools themes wordpress
ess 9 Essential WordPress Plugins for 2023 By www.webappers.com Published On :: Wed, 11 Jan 2023 08:00:00 +0000 One description of a WordPress plugin could be “a software addon that packs a punch”. That doesn’t necessarily apply to every WordPress plugin. Even though that is more often than not the purpose behind them. At their best, plugins can be capable of taking a business to the next level, and that could be your […] The post 9 Essential WordPress Plugins for 2023 appeared first on WebAppers. Full Article Best Collections Tools plugin wordpress
ess Discover 10 Best Multipurpose WordPress Themes to Use in 2023 By www.webappers.com Published On :: Tue, 09 May 2023 08:00:00 +0000 Some people may tell you that anything worth inventing has already been invented. That is not true, it probably never will be, and it certainly will not be the case for the website design world, which just keeps growing and improving. Website requirements keep becoming more and more demanding. Website design has to correspondingly follow […] The post Discover 10 Best Multipurpose WordPress Themes to Use in 2023 appeared first on WebAppers. Full Article Best Collections Design Tools multipurpose themes wordpress
ess 10 Awesome WordPress Themes to Check Out in 2024 By www.webappers.com Published On :: Wed, 03 Jan 2024 13:00:00 +0000 The good news is there is no shortage of awesome WordPress themes that can help you create an engaging and well-functioning website. The not-so-good news is that the options open to you can be overwhelming because of the thousands of great WordPress themes available. Finding one you can rely on to help you quickly create […] The post 10 Awesome WordPress Themes to Check Out in 2024 appeared first on WebAppers. Full Article Design Tools themes wordpress
ess 8 Great WordPress Plugins in 2024 By www.webappers.com Published On :: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 09:00:00 +0000 The more than 59,000 free plugins in the WordPress official directory deal with nearly every feature or function to be put to use in any type of website. Premium WordPress plugins from third-party marketplaces are also available. The largest, CodeCanyon, has over 5200 WordPress plugins. The question is, do you have the time to sift […] The post 8 Great WordPress Plugins in 2024 appeared first on WebAppers. Full Article Best Collections Inspiration Tools plugin wordpress
ess How to add typographic fonts to WordPress block themes By themeshaper.com Published On :: Mon, 28 Nov 2022 18:47:29 +0000 The easy and compliant way that every theme developer should know. Full Article Education Theme Development development
ess Is a cashless society closer than most realize? By www.techi.com Published On :: Sun, 27 Dec 2015 19:15:41 +0000 In North America, it’s easy to see that we’re heading towards a world that is driven by digital commerce. Many people order a good chunk of their daily supplies and impulse purchases online. Apps make buying things even out in the real world much easier than cash. Then, there’s the credit and debit card trend […] The post Is a cashless society closer than most realize? first appeared on TECH Intelligence and is written by Michio Hasai. Full Article E-commerce Cashless Society ecommerce Technology
ess What is the Future of Citizen Development in Modern Businesses? By www.noupe.com Published On :: Thu, 17 Oct 2024 10:22:45 +0000 As businesses adopt digital to be more efficient, stay ahead of the curve and meet changing demands, their IT teams are faced with the growing challenge of supporting the software infrastructure. Due to the high costs of employing software developers and the scarcity of capable programmers, the pressure on IT teams has become enormous. As... The post What is the Future of Citizen Development in Modern Businesses? appeared first on noupe. Full Article Business Online business no code development
ess Mastering WordPress for E-commerce: Proven Strategies to Boost Your Online Store By www.noupe.com Published On :: Thu, 17 Oct 2024 14:42:07 +0000 With over 5 billion internet users worldwide, businesses are now tapping into E-commerce to expand market reach, which was inaccessible through traditional brick-and-mortar stores. However, success doesn’t end with merely establishing an E-commerce website. Tools are needed to do well in this competitive market. One tool is the Content Management System (CMS), which provides the... The post Mastering WordPress for E-commerce: Proven Strategies to Boost Your Online Store appeared first on noupe. Full Article WordPress eCommerce website
ess 8 Things to Do Before Transitioning Your Small Business From a Side Hustle to Full-Time By www.noupe.com Published On :: Mon, 04 Nov 2024 12:36:39 +0000 If you have a profitable side hustle, you’ve probably considered taking your business full-time. However, before you take the leap and transition to life as a full-time entrepreneur, there are a few things you should do. Some tasks are simple, like opening a business bank account and setting concrete goals. Others, like building a professional... The post 8 Things to Do Before Transitioning Your Small Business From a Side Hustle to Full-Time appeared first on noupe. Full Article Business Online business business growth marketing Online Business side hustle small business