According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every 25 patients is likely to acquire an infection during their hospital stay. While cloth curtains have for a long time been used to maintain patient privacy in hospitals, there are serious considerations about the health risks they pose. Studies show that 92% of privacy curtains are contaminated within a week of being hung. Washing and replacing them regularly can help stop the spread of infection but is a very costly and wasteful process.
Hard surface privacy screens are a more economical solution to this urgent issue. This is why Silentia has leaned heavily into its strong foundation in product design and innovation to garner recognition as the leading alternative to privacy curtains.
A legacy of excellence in design
Since 1990, Silentia has upheld a legacy of excellence in patient privacy and hygiene solutions backed by product design, development, and innovation. We strive to design patient-oriented privacy solutions that improve hygiene, efficiency, versatility, and sustainability in the health care environment. This is achieved through a collaborative process that takes key stakeholders’ input and follows strict quality, safety, and design guidelines.
Motivated by our customers
Our customers are the driving force for product innovation. Silentia privacy screens have gone through several iterations over the years and this process of perfecting the products has been a response to changing needs of our customers.
An important part of our business is our account team who are out in the field consulting with health care teams. These individuals spend time with hospital staff who use our products daily and can offer unique perspectives or insights. They are also trained to recognize opportunities for improving our solutions based on their deep knowledge of our products. They are constantly evaluating how screens are used, how they fit into cleaning routines, how they impact patients and evidence of wear and tear.
This approach to product ideation ensures that customers are part of the process and that we deliver products that are both useful and practical. It also eases the burden on health care teams to solve the issue themselves and creates efficiency in the design process by eliminating steps from ideation to design.
Concepting and development
We consider all possible options for solving an issue and implement the best solution—the one that is most efficient and convenient for the customer. To achieve this, the Silentia screen system is comprised of patented screen and component designs.
With all products designed according to these guidelines, we can ensure that the system abides by the universal modular design. This means that as needs and regulations change over time, our system can be modified to adapt to new layouts or locations within a hospital. This ability to be reused and reconfigured ensures a long useful lifetime of the screens.
To support the modular requirements of the system, every Silentia screen has important features that enhance hygiene, versatility, and ease of use:
- EasyClean™
- EasyReturn™
- EasyClick™
Resource efficiency
In our pursuit of using limited resource and creating minimal waste, we build the entire Silentia system with just a few different materials. These materials are then constructed in various ways to create each product, with different lengths and heights. This consistency makes production more cost and time efficient.
For further efficiency, all of the technologies needed for prototyping and manufacturing are located in-house. This allows us to create new products on demand, test them, and improve them to ensure viability for our customers, more efficiently and with better results. We use digital modeling (CAD) and prototyping with a 3D printer to help with product development before moving on to the manufacturing process. For testing and producing screens printed with images—StoryPanels, PhotoPanels, ArtPanels, and custom prints—we have our own in-house large format printer.
Collaboration is just as important to the development process as technology. On a local scale, our open-door policies and open floor plan encourages communication between specialists in each critical area—designers, engineers, account managers, and health experts. Additionally, there is constant communication between teams around the world, which allows us to learn from challenges and successes on a global scale. This collaborative approach eliminates a traditional top-down structure and aids in the development of truly practical solutions.
Implementing the solution
Implementation of our screens is the most important step in product design and development and goes well beyond installation. We work closely with each customer stakeholder group during the implementation process to provide support and ensure the efficacy and longevity of the screens.
- Architect/Designer: Mockups, floorplan, design assets, Revit/BIMObject resources.
- EVS/Maintenance: Installation approval and small repair instruction.
- Infection prevention and control: Cleaning recommendations and protocol development.
- Nurse manager/Director: Training and cleaning instruction.
Before the installation of our screens, customers can use our proprietary EasyScreenDesign platform to create a virtual rendering of any of our screen options in a handful of hospital environments.
Within the tool users have the ability to share concepts with a team or submit them for a quote or further consultation. This ensures that customers have a visual understanding of how our screens may fit in their space to make solution-finding more efficient.
Silentia privacy screens are designed with patient and staff safety in mind through every aspect of the design process, making them more effective than any other privacy solution. When it comes to improving your level of patient care, you should never have to sacrifice efficiency, versatility, or cleanliness.
Learn more about our products, our design process, and how we can help you impact positive change in your department. Contact us today to book a free virtual or in-person consultation.
