A temporary CT location can be clear to the project team and confusing to the person arriving for an appointment. A patient may receive directions to the usual radiology entrance, follow a campus sign toward the permanent department, then learn that the scanner is in a mobile unit. The problem starts with inconsistent arrival information.
For hospitals planning a mobile CT service, a useful deliverable is a wayfinding communication sheet. It gives scheduling, registration, switchboard, security and radiology one agreed description of where patients should go and who can help. Its purpose is to make the arrival message consistent across the places where people encounter it.
Start with the first destination patients need
Decide which arrival point the hospital wants appointment instructions to name. That might be an existing registration desk or another approved reception point. The temporary scanner's position does not, by itself, answer this question. A patient may still need to report inside the hospital before reaching the unit.
Record the approved destination using a familiar building name, entrance name and contact number. Ask the registration and radiology teams to review the wording together. They should also decide how to describe the temporary CT location when a patient asks whether an appointment has moved.
Keep clinical preparation instructions with the hospital's approved patient guidance. The wayfinding sheet should concentrate on the arrival information that scheduling staff can communicate consistently.
Check every place that gives directions
Create a short list of the channels patients may actually use: appointment letters, reminder messages, portal instructions, website directions, parking maps and telephone answers. Add physical signs at relevant campus decision points. Include information desks and security staff, because patients may ask them questions that never reach radiology.
A simple review table can prevent a partial update:
| Arrival touchpoint | Question to resolve | Responsible owner |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment reminder | Does it name the correct first destination? | Scheduling |
| Parking information | Does it match the approved arrival route? | Hospital parking team |
| Reception desk | Can staff explain the temporary location? | Registration |
| Campus signs | Do approved signs use the same names? | Facilities or wayfinding team |
| Telephone inquiries | Who answers questions outside normal project hours? | Switchboard and radiology |
The hospital can adapt the owner labels to its organization. The value comes from naming someone who can approve and maintain each message.
Use one description across signs and messages
If an appointment reminder says "temporary CT," a sign says "mobile imaging," and reception calls it "the trailer," people have to decide whether those phrases refer to the same place. Choose a consistent patient-facing name and pair it with the established department name where appropriate.
For example, a planning team might agree to use "CT appointments: check in at Radiology Registration" in appointment communications, then use the hospital's approved signage system to guide people from that point. This is an illustrative wording pattern; the destination must be confirmed for the actual campus.
Review language and accessibility needs with the hospital teams responsible for those areas. Ask whether directions remain understandable to people unfamiliar with the campus and whether the chosen contact route works for someone who needs assistance. Avoid relying on a photograph or map alone to communicate an essential arrival step.
Confirm what happens when someone arrives elsewhere
Even a well-prepared plan needs an answer for the patient who reaches the permanent CT desk or the wrong entrance. Identify whom reception should contact and how staff will confirm that the receiving team knows the patient is waiting.
AHRQ's handoff resource emphasizes clarity of responsibility, acknowledgment and an opportunity for questions. Applied to arrival coordination, that means the sending and receiving teams agree who will respond, rather than assuming a forwarded message has been acted on. The hospital's clinical handoff process remains under its own policies.
Give changes an owner and an effective date
Temporary arrangements may change as construction progresses. Put an owner, review date and effective date on the wayfinding sheet. When an entrance or reception point changes, update the relevant communication channels together and remove superseded instructions.
Atlas's mobile CT installation guide identifies patient access and internal coordination as part of deployment planning. An arrival communication sheet makes that work concrete: one agreed destination, one consistent message, named owners and a clear update process. Bring it to the project review alongside the campus plan so everyone can check the words against the actual temporary arrangement.
