• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, March 2, 2012

Patients and their families are a favorite target audience for digital out-of-home video networks, and this week brought a new player in the form of Aceso’s Hospital TV Network, or HTV for short. HTV will deliver content focused on healthy lifestyles, entertainment, and learning -- along with targeted advertising -- to hospital common and waiting areas. It functions as an extension of UpCare, a digital video network also operated by Aceso, which engages patients in their hospital rooms.

According to Aceso, HTV programming content will be sourced from national network producers, but will also include locally produced programming focused on the particular areas of clinical expertise, research and specialty care available at each hospital facility. Hospitals can use HTV to communicate directions, details of upcoming events and key hospital staff profiles, as well as promoting on-site businesses such as cafes, gift shops and newsstands. Advertising revenue is shared with hospital partners.

As noted, HTV isn’t the only DOOH network targeting patients in hospitals and elsewhere. The Wellness Network operates The Patient Channel and The Newborn Channel, acquired from NBC in 2010. According to the company the two networks reach 20 million patients and their caregivers and 3.1 million new moms per year, respectively.

And in May of last year AccentHealth unveiled nine new “condition-specific” networks which deliver digital video content to waiting rooms targeted according to the types of condition most commonly treated at each location, focused on diabetes health, heart health, men’s health, mental health, senior women’s health, rheumatology, allergies, asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). These joined four original AccentHealth networks which target general practice, seniors, ob-gyn and pediatrics.