HCD Guest Author

With the recent attention to patient satisfaction scores and HCAHPS survey results, we have learned a lot about ways in which the healthcare environment can influence patient experience. 

In the brave new world of U.S. healthcare, Lean has become a buzzword. Recognizing that forthcoming financial realities and the demands of patients will call for cheaper, faster, and more efficient healthcare, many facilities are looking to the Lean process to streamline the works, hopefully leading to faster throughput, better outcomes, and more satisfied patients.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable things that healthcare architects and engineers are contributing to the industry—besides designing great healthcare spaces —are insightful research initiatives that are providing valuable data and design guidelines, particularly in the realm of sustainable design. 

While such ventures are numerous, here are a few which stand out as making notable contributions to the future of sustainable healthcare building. 

I've been involved with hundreds of healthcare design projects over the last 30 years, and I can safely say that there is normally not enough money to design the entire program as intended.

There are many reasons for this, and most are valid. So what can be done with the available money to get the most value? How can we design a facility to give our clients the most flexibility in the future? 

One approach is to understand the entire scope of the project, even if the budget will not support it. What are the ultimate goals? What are the intermediate goals?

In my last post, I discussed how designers need to be innovators to meet the challenges facing the healthcare industry today. Changing demographics, new technology, and new funding sources all require new approaches to facility design—and new approaches to the design process itself. 

Recently my wife and I visited friends who had built their own house. Opening from their front porch, they had a beautiful, hand-crafted and carved oak door. Of course, we didn’t actually see it until later in our visit, because we went in the kitchen door, like most welcome visitors.

That distinctive door wasn’t appreciated the way it was designed, and all because it’s in the wrong place. It's a critical lesson to consider when designing to “right-size” a rural hospital. 

Incorporating the arts in healthcare is not new. Thomas Sydenham, the 17th century English physician, said, "The arrival of a good clown exercises more beneficial influence upon the health of a town than 20 asses laden with drugs."

In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration sponsored mural projects in hospitals throughout the United States, and in the 1950s, New York City launched its United Hospital Fund, which placed thousands of paintings in hospitals and sponsored trips for mental health patients to see theatrical productions. 

A HEALTHCARE DESIGN Conference panel made up of Scott Morton, vice president of project development for The Boldt Co.; Scott Lindvall, vice president and principal with HGA Architects and Engineers; Gary A.

Advancing technology, electronic medical records, and changing healthcare delivery systems are all impacting the design of healthcare spaces.

It's important for planners and designers to consider the operational processes and workflows associated with these traditional spaces to maximize functionality and flexibility for the future.

Moreover, the Lean movement and accountability for patient satisfaction and outcomes have changed consumer expectations for efficient service and experiences.

As my colleagues and I have stated in these blogs on designing for HCAHPS, there are three important factors related to the holistic patient experience. With the utilization of HCAHPS as a primary criteria for hospital organizational reimbursement, the patient experience is now directly related to specific survey topics.

After making the case for social media and highlighting some effective social media initiatives at different hospitals, this next blog installment explains why social media is becoming an essential medium for healthcare institutions.

    Though the election results have not provided instant clarity to the healthcare reform issue, a light at the end of this very long tunnel is finally in sight. It may, however, be a very bumpy ride getting there.