2008 TIGR User Conference Aids in Expanding Interactive Patient Education Systems...

2008 TIGR User Conference Aids in Expanding Interactive Patient Education
Systems into Hospital's Clinical Workflow

TeleHealth Services' educational endeavor explores maximizing clinical
benefits and facility quality initiatives with interactive patient education
systems

RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology is a critical topic when
discussing the continuum of care for a patient, especially in the hospital
setting where facilities are expecting to see increases in Joint Commission
compliance standards. Nowhere was that more evident than at the Baltimore
Waterfront Marriott last week where TeleHealth Services held their marquee
patient education event of the year.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081023/NY41120 )

The TIGR User Conference, a forum where best practices, resources and
experiences with patient and staff education systems can be shared, had
executives from more than 50 of the nation's leading hospitals attend to learn
more about maximizing interactive patient education systems in their daily
workflow. The sessions focused on enabling attendees to develop and deliver
solutions that leverage the full capabilities of the interactive on-demand
systems. Keynote speaker, and one of the nation's leading authorities in
pediatric nursing and Joint Commission standards, Francine Westergaard said:
"It's refreshing to see an educational initiative like the TIGR User
Conference emerge into to such a powerful concept within the healthcare
community."

The event began with a keynote address from Westergaard on the importance of
education in the accreditation processes. Said Westergaard: "Hats off to
TeleHealth Services for being visionaries within the healthcare industry, and
being responsible corporate partners in bringing an educational endeavor of
such validity and importance to the healthcare technology community."

The program featured clinical and technical learning tracks to enhance the
capabilities of the system within the facility. The technical track focused on
the solutions knowledge and how to capitalize on rapidly evolving
opportunities such as EMR interactivity, High-Definition (HD) content and
discharge management. The clinical track concentrated on maximizing the
on-demand system's value and utilization in improving the hospital's quality
of care initiatives. Ruth Gonsoski, Perinatal Program Manager at Northridge
Hospital said, "Our TIGR system serves as the cornerstone for our facility's
drive for exemplary service. Since the implementation of our TIGR patient
education system our OB unit won the most improved OB unit for exemplary
service in 2007. This was the only OB unit recognized out of 283 hospitals
considered for the award. The TIGR system played an integral role in winning
all 19 Avatar awards for service, quality of care and patient education
excellence throughout the CHW system. Venues like this allow for thought
collaboration between leading hospitals to discuss inventive new ways to
utilize the system to further our patient and staff satisfaction aptitudes."

The final portion of the curriculum was a panel of interactive patient
education system practitioners in which attendees could gain perspective and
insight on best practices for delivering a patient facing solution. The panel
featured users in various stages of implementation and provided a wealth of
content dealing with topics from internal and external product awareness,
innovative uses of the system, meshing the functionality into daily workflow,
and quantifiable metrics on the benefits that interactive patient and staff
education systems provide. George Fleming, President and CEO of TeleHealth
Services said, "From all the feedback we have received, hearing the
perspectives of our panelists was a huge advantage for all involved. The
technology is evolving, giving us increasingly patient-friendly, simple and
effective solutions to aid in delivering quality care within a medical
setting. Patients and providers are embracing connected health systems to
improve care, communication and quality of life." With a mix of healthcare
executives, educators, and staff working with an on-demand solution, synergies
on maximizing the solution's potential in a number of cross functional areas
resonated for everyone in attendance. It made the benefits of an interactive
patient education system an achievable reality.

TeleHealth Service's TIGR(R) brand of products include cutting-edge
interactive communications and information systems that deliver patient
amenities and provide the quantifiable metrics to drive facility quality
initiatives and satisfaction standards. By delivering the most scalable and
extensive selection of powerful communication and educational tools,
TeleHealth Service's TIGR and TigrNet customizable platforms improve patient
satisfaction scores, provide support for clinical staff, help automate
workflow and aid in clinical accountability. By using a familiar delivery
channel, patients and staff can access valuable education, communication and
entertainment resources to improve the recovery process.

About TeleHealth Services:
TeleHealth Services, headquartered in Raleigh, NC, is the nation's leading
provider of integrated communications solutions for the healthcare market:
bedside access to entertainment, education and services; patient and staff
video-on-demand education systems; hospital-grade televisions and accessories;
education and entertainment content; system installation, maintenance and
financing services. TeleHealth Services is a division of Telerent Leasing
Corporation, which has been headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, since
its founding in 1957. Telerent itself is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITOCHU
International, Inc., a U.S. company based in New York City and a Global 500
corporation.

For more information on TeleHealth, call 800-733-8610, or visit at
http://www.telehealth.com/.

Contact:
Matthew K. Barker
Director of Marketing
TeleHealth Services
919-772-8604
matt.barker@telehealth.com

SOURCE TeleHealth Services

Matthew K. Barker, Director of Marketing of TeleHealth Services,
+1-919-772-8604, matt.barker@telehealth.com