Imagine you’re headed to your doctor’s office for a routine check-up. Think about the typical process as you go through that patient experience. How many healthcare employees do you interact with at your visit? What you probably don’t realize in that very standard interaction with your provider is the diversity of employees working in that healthcare environment.

Via ki.com

Calgary manufacturer DIRTT just couldn’t help showing off – they created a functional, two-storey, state-of-the-art medical interior in just three days at the Arab Health Congress in Dubai.

“What we’re trying to do is use technology to flip the conventional construction industry on its head,” said Scott Jenkins, president of DIRTT. “That has challenges because it’s a very old industry that has a certain way of doing things, but we’re really using technology to say there is a better way.”

Via metronews.ca

Demographic changes are pulling healthcare in contradictory directions. Millennial patients, born into a mobile world, are driving investments in telemedicine, on-demand services and dispersed ambulatory care. Yet an aging population of baby boomers will soon require more acute and inpatient settings. Given these conflicting demands, what can institutions do to meet the needs of both demographics? And how do these needs specifically inform the design of the inpatient room?

Via meanstheworld.co 

I recently had the pleasure of attending the annual Healthcare Design Expo and Conference. KI has made it a tradition to not only exhibit at this premier healthcare event but to also spend a large amount of time listening to healthcare professionals discuss emerging trends, issues and best practices.

From the products featured to the speaker’s topics of discussion, one theme was clear - there is a monumental shift underway to address the patient experience in healthcare. This not only applies to the provider/patient relationship but also to a patient’s expectations for the healthcare spaces where they receive care.

Recent change to healthcare regulations is driving the market to a more consumer-based model of care. There are any number of factors that affect a patient’s experience. Quality of care and clinical outcomes are paramount but attributes like noise levels, Wi-Fi connectivity and aesthetics all play a role. Patients are consumers at heart. Retail experiences and trends in residential design and construction are trickling into patients’ perceptions of what constitutes a stellar healthcare environment and experience.

Via ki.com >

We have two cell phones, often more than one computer or tablet. Today, we are constantly connected and communicating. Many of us spend more than half of each working day on email. We read email while we are on the phone, we are on the phone while we are emailing, and we are on a conference call while watching a training video. We’re messaging while we’re emailing while we are on a call. You know you’ve done it! Multi-tasking has become the rule of the day. In the words of NASA astronaut Jack Swigert, ‘Houston we have a problem.’

Read the blog post on stantec.com >

Healthcare facilities, for years stale and sterile, are now taking a fresh and warm approach to design. Today’s caregivers acknowledge patient satisfaction and convenience as contributors to healing, which has lead to an understanding that design is a means to change the perception of patient care and enhance the overall healthcare experience. Beyond design, real estate also factors into patient preference. As noted by Bloomberg, major providers including Cedars-Sinai Health System, PrimeHealthcare, and Vanderbilt University Medical Group have taken space in local malls for easy customer access which is more in line with today’s life style.

Read the blog post on interiorarchitects.com >

The physician stool. Humble in its stature and simple in its design. Pretty low tech and for over a hundred years, it has served its purpose with few modifications save an extra leg for stability.

Now consider today’s exam room. Doctors are juggling charts, laptops, iPads, and mobile devices. Electronic devices are as common as a physician’s stethoscope and have fundamentally changed doctor patient interaction.

Read the article on healthspacedesign.com >

Nearly 70 years ago, when many existing healthcare spaces were first constructed, clinician-patient interactions were much different, as were patients’ expectations of their care experience and the technology needed to support those interactions. While the patient-centered care movement has put an emphasis on addressing the healthcare needs, preferences, and values of patients in order effectively deliver care effectively, most healthcare spaces are still designed to support a doctor-centered process.

Read the article on facilityexecutive.com >

Evidence-based design has taught us a lot about the importance of lighting, particularly daylighting, in the healing process. Faster recovery times, less pain, and a general sense of well-being have been connected with patient access to daylight.

Read the article on healtcaredesignmagazine.com >