Glossary A–ZLetter W
Waiting room TV
Waiting room TV refers to screens in the waiting areas of doctors' and dentists' practices, veterinary practices or hospitals that show a programme of practice information, health topics and entertainment.
It is meant to shorten the perceived waiting time and to inform.
Typical content includes opening hours, holiday cover, information on vaccinations or check-ups, an introduction to the team, the practice's services and neutral content such as the weather or puzzles. The programme often runs without sound so that conversations at reception and patient calls are not disturbed. Some practices link the screen to the patient call system, so that numbers and programme appear alternately or side by side.
Special rules apply to practices when it comes to advertising: German law on advertising for medical products and treatments and medical professional rules limit how services may be presented, and advertising for medicines is subject to its own requirements. Operators should check third-party content before it is displayed. Music or television programmes may incur fees to collecting societies. Patients' personal data only belongs on screen in the form of a call that reveals as little as possible.