Onus IV Hydration in Denver. Photo © Frank Ooms.
As patients who seek healthcare and pursue wellness, we are also consumers, a fact long overlooked but now gaining favor with attentive healthcare providers. From treatment to infrastructure, the healthcare industry is experiencing a disruptive transformation triggered by medical advancements, new technologies, the push for personal customization/convenience, and a growing understanding of the patient as a consumer.
Embedded with a confidential client, a Fortune 500 health insurance company that also provides regional healthcare services, IA is currently engaged in two studies. Each focuses on a different mode and venue for delivering services to the same demographic—the growing population of age 65+ consumers, with an eye to rising seniors in the age 45-65 bracket. Although these studies look at the same demographic in very different settings—the medical center and the community healthcare outpost—they reveal that, as consumers, patients look for the same essential satisfiers as customers in a retail environment. High atop their list are proximity to home, an authentic customer-centric experience, personal engagement (know me and my requirements), relevant services when they are needed, and a welcoming and comforting ambience.
Major healthcare providers are beginning to focus on customer satisfaction and convenience—one-stop-shopping—to deliver medical care and create wellness. We are all busy, pressed for time, and accustomed to personalized services and devices. We want that same level of service from our healthcare providers. Can I stop by and see the doctor on my way home, ask a question, or pick up a new prescription? To turn this into reality, savvy providers are creating neighborhood healthcare centers as well as community centers. The community centers offer a menu of wellness-focused activities (e.g., yoga, cooking classes for nutrition, lectures, etc.), maybe a juice bar or cafe for hanging out, and even childcare during your visit. With an almost club-like atmosphere and membership requirement, these venues make it easier to pursue wellness. Any combination of services may be offered or geared to a specific age group. Tailored for seniors, centers can provide the social interaction needed for good health that may wane in later life.
CAROL DOERING, IIDA, CHID
Carol is a certified healthcare interior designer who has spent the majority of her career focused on health care environments. She enjoys the challenge of integrating safety, function and beauty all into a single project within the ever-evolving environment for care delivery. You can contact her at c.doering@interiorarchitects.com