The Patient Channel®

Overview

GE Healthcare launched The Patient Channel on April 30, 2002 with patient educational programming to help U.S. hospitals provide credible, accurate and up-to-date information to patients and their families, caregivers, and friends. The television programming is seen in patient rooms and waiting areas.

Programming on the channel covers a wide spectrum of topics including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, cancer, asthma, smoking cessation, parenting, health/wellness, and other healthcare topics. The goal of the channel is to educate patients and their families and to increase their awareness of medical issues and treatment options. The educational content is meant to stimulate communication with healthcare providers, improve the ability to make informed decisions, and promote a sense of empowerment at the time when accurate information is most needed.

• Over 40 educational programs
• Broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Spanish and English closed captioning available on all programs
• Provides reliable and focused patient education content
• Topics cover health and wellness topics selected with input from patient educators in our hospital network
• All content is developed according to the standards set and maintained by an external advisory board
• A web site for staff and patients, family and friends with applicable information before, during and after hospital stays

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Benefits for Patients

• Programs feature patient stories, physician explanations in easy-to-understand language, and messages of hope to improve patients’ understanding and recovery
• Reliable, accurate and easy to understand information complements other patient education efforts received from hospital staff
• Information is available in hospital rooms at the time patients are most interested in learning more about their medical condition
• Programs replay frequently to provide multiple opportunities for viewing

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Programming Standards

• Our programming is intended to provide patient education, care management, and health and wellness information to our audience
• The content of our programming is accurate, valid, and current
• The content of our programming will be objective, independent, and free from influence
• All programming is reviewed before airing by medical authorities to assure that the information provided meets those standards

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Advertising Policy Standards

• Commercial messages associated with our programming are intended to provide information and education to our audience
• All commercial messages are reviewed before airing to assure that the information provided is appropriate for the intended audience
• Commercial sponsors must demonstrate that those messages that come under the regulatory control of the Food and Drug Administration conform to FDA current standards and guidelines
• Commercial messages must also conform to appropriate standards of good taste

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