We sourced a manufacturer to create a terminal which could be networked into the hospital queuing system. Once patients were allocated a place in the queue they could register their mobile phone number on the Philips terminal. Then the system sent them a text message in time to ensure that they could get back to the hospital without missing their appointment. The whole text journey was owned by Philips. 5 major hospitals in Shanghai agreed to let us install the system, because of the obvious benefits to the hospital in reducing over-crowding in public areas and increasing the efficiency of their patient flow.At the same time Philips rolled out a TV campaign that demonstrated the consumer benefits in using newly refurbished community clinics. We worked with the Public Health Bureau to classify the Philips commercial as an official public health message securing a 65% reduction in TV airtime costs.

We installed 5 terminals in Shanghai in early 2008. The system has already been rolled out to 10 hospital departments across the city. Each terminal is used by 125 consumers per day, creating time for them and reducing congestion.Our simple, common sense system lets Philips save each patient 3 hours. Currently, patients in the city are saving 156 years and 3 months of life every year. That’s around 2 human lifetimes every year.By creating time for consumers, we have made the Philips’ Sense and Simplicity concept relevant, meaningful and rewarding for consumers within the healthcare sector in China.