Can a Good Hospital Design Improve Patient’s Health?

What is a good hospital design? Who would have thought that a good hospital design is going to help in patients well being? In this article Hospaccx Healthcare Consultancy has mapped all the guidelines to design a best in class healthcare infrastructures.

Introduction:

Healthcare design is a very detailed endeavour. Hospital design plays a major role in the patient’s health improvement. Gone are the days of sterile spaces, shared rooms and buildings that could be confused for corporate offices. Instead we’ve seen a new class of hospitals that are more like hotels, with private rooms, gardens and art installations. Even a simple design in the hospital can decrease the stay of patient. To deal with the issues of errors in healthcare and high question safety fundamentals changes of healthcare processes, culture and therefore the physical environment are necessary and wish to be aligned. Better design can reduce the stay of patient in ICU by 10% as per the study done by Harvard Medical School.

For a good hospital design at the entrance lobby there should be a fountain or statue build with welcoming environment for the patients, as the patient may feel relaxed. The entrance should consist of speakers that play a calm, silent and welcoming sound. It can divert and keep the patients mind calm. The design problems are diverse. Hospital is often noisy and patient needs to share the room which may affect the sleep of the patient. Patient’s roommate on the other side of the curtain may hear the secret conversations. There may be high risk of infection in double sharing and it may be noisy as there will be patient next bed.

A deluxe room or a suite room or private room with good interior design and enough of natural lights with patient relative beds and television for patient in front of the bed may reduce the stay of patient and can improve the health of patient faster. By having a good designs or architectures on walls it will impact on patients well being. By designing the ceiling and walls it may attract the patients and it will result to the betterment of well being of patient.

Following aspects can be taken into consideration to design as per patient well being:

Audio environment:

The wall of the patients room should be sound absorbing, where too much of sound in room can be absorbed by the sound proof walls. The room should be designed in such a manner that it won’t echo. The ICU ward should consist of speakers that play a silent music in the background, through this the patient feels calm and it may help in improving patient’s health. This type of structured design would positive patient’s health outcomes. Incorporating music played in the background can result into healing environment for patient. This can reduce blood pressure, heart and respiration rates and also reduces the stress and anxiety level of visitors in hospital waiting areas.

Sustainability:

The balcony area can be designed by putting some greenery to it. So that the patient can feel some natural environment around him. The patient room also can be designed by placing some pot or flower vase. So the patient who is in love with nature can heal quickly by this design. Natural sunlight should be taken into consideration. Designed of the room should consist of natural sunlight.

Visual environment:

The visual surroundings in hospital play an important role in the hospital. The upper ceiling should be placed with transparent glasses, so that the patient may able to see towards the sky with this the patient healing result may turn to positive. The wards should have enough of natural air ventilation. For patient well being the rooms should have a artificial or the plants in the surroundings placed and speakers can also be placed on the walls. This can result into positive side.

Waiting area & overnight bed:

Waiting area for the patient can be decoded interestingly. Waiting area should be featured with flatscreenTVs, leather seating and newspaper racks. The waiting area can be setup by giving free Wi-Fi facility. To shorten your patient waiting time you can involve the streamlining process and optimising the schedule. Overnight beds for the relatives of the patient can be designed, so that the patient coming from far distance the relatives can relax overnight in the hospital. By providing a comfortable and considerate seating, an interesting environment, and plenty of quiet entertainment, your patients will soon be walking into their appointments with a smile.

Way-finding:

Hospitals are confusing places. Way-finding technology, which can offer a way for patients as well as

hospital staff navigate hospitals more deftly can help with added value of improving patients experience, an important part of new value based care models. Way-findings can be designed using different colours for different directions. It can be installed on the floors or on the ceiling or on the walls. Way-finding should florescent coloured so that in low light it can be visible or in emergency situation. At which location is the patient standing or the directions can be explained. Latest technology has been popped into market that hospital can navigate once you are inside the hospital through your phone.

Safety:

Bacteria resistant finishes can help in infection control. When patients are moved around the hospital for x-rays, test, etc, they touch the surfaces of handrails, tables, chairs and door handles; this can cause infection to other patients as well. So to prevent the infection caused due to this can be helped by using building materials that have coated or impregnated with copper has resulted in reducing the infection rates in hospitals, as copper is the antimicrobial properties. For safety hospital can also use copper oxide- impregnated bed sheets, pillow covers, scrubs, and gowns ca also reduce the spread of infection.

Hospital should be beyond infamously sterile décor. To make the patients hospital stay comfortable colour, nature and way-finding are taken into care. Hospitals may differ in cities like tier-1, tier-2 & tier-3. Hospitals in tier-2 & tier-3 cities in India would not be lavishing designed. Measures to be taken like building up a green hospital with good architecture. Assembling with best in class interior design like kids zone should be setup in hospitals. Hospital should also be designed with gift stores, common prayer hall, saloons, a coffee shop, etc. this may give the feeling to patient as if they are in some malls. Designing for young patient’s means inspiring confidence, encouraging playfulness and offering hope. Pediatric care walls should be designed with some cartoons or comics. Through this the pediatric patient may recover soon. Pediatric centre should be equipped with some toys by keeping safety in the mind. The pediatric department walls should be full of animations.

A more thoughtful infrastructure could also reduce fall risks. Slippery floors, dim lighting and toilets that are too high or too low to the floor can increase the chances of a fall. Decentralised nursing stations, which provide nurses with a better view of patients, could also benefit patients at risks for falls or other complications.

Rehab department should be designed in such a way that the patient can be rehabilitated. Today’s Rehab spaces are designed to be motivating, welcoming, safe, and accessible. The outcome is facilities that are intrinsically therapeutic and achieve results, with each design detail collectively working toward one very specific goal. In rehab centers the entire wall can be designed.

Conclusion:

This study concludes that any approaches, scientific or architectural that makes for better hospital experiences should be encouraged. It’s true that by various architectural designing the walls or having natural air passing in the patient room or having a place for the relatives of the patient can improve the health of the patient. Various techniques can be used to prevent patients healing. The hospital designs should provide healing environment with home like surroundings that have been shown reduction in stress level. Less noisy environment, distractions and natural lights can improve the patient health.

If you need any support regarding planning and prefabrication hospitals, kindly contact Hospaccx Healthcare business consulting Pvt. ltd on [email protected] or [email protected] or you can visit our website on www.hhbc.in