Reimagining the X-ray exam experience for children and staff

Children’s mission is to provide the finest pediatric health services in an environment that fosters excellence in research and medical education. They were looking to continue to enhance their care environments to ease patient stress and positively impact workflow and staff productivity. After success with Ambient Experience solutions in the CT suite, they targeted the busy pediatric X-ray suite which was running at full capacity and struggling with patient compliance.

Inpatient X-rays of young children are not elective – they are mandatory. So however the image is acquired, it must be done successfully. Adding to the challenge, parents/caregivers often accompany their youngsters into the exam room and their own anxiety can be contagious. Through years of experience imaging young children, both Karen Knight, Diagnostic Imaging Manager, and Latasha Traylor, X-ray Lead Technologist, understand that the child is only going to be as calm as the parent and the parent only as calm as the child. Therefore any ‘solution’ must positively impact each.

Ambient Experience integrates dynamic lighting, sound and video to create an engaging environment designed to ease patient stress and positively impact workflow and productivity. These solutions are based on years of patient-centric design research and close collaboration with healthcare providers around the world.

By removing the negative elements and impersonal atmosphere associated with an X-ray suite, and replacing them with positive elements that soothe and distract, satisfaction can be improved for both patients, families and staff.

The new X-ray suite at Children’s uses dynamic lighting, sound and video and includes over 40 different theme choices, which can be selected by the technologist and/or the patient.

Children's of Alabama discovered that Ambient Experience solutions provide a differentiating factor in their delivery of pediatric care. In 2022, Children’s was recognized as one of the best children’s hospitals in all 10 specialties tracked by U.S. News and World Report. Their collaboration with Philips helps sustain that commitment to exceptional care.

With the latest room upgrade, Children’s has experienced an increase in patient compliance and satisfaction as well as improved staff efficiency and satisfaction when using the X-ray room with Ambient Experience solutions. Exam time has been shortened and patient throughput has improved.