Steelcase puts a strong emphasis on the development of healthcare settings in order to improve the experience of patients everywhere. Steelcase has assembled data and suggestions to improve various aspects of healthcare centers, such as exam rooms, patient rooms, as well as transition spaces. In exam rooms, Steelcase suggests a monitor to provide easy access to information, seating for family members to support conversation, and whiteboards to capture questions or drawings. In patient rooms, Steelcase focuses on family involvement. Family members need a welcome environment that allows them to connect with staff, as well as a place to socialize, eat, and sleep. In transition spaces within outpatient clinics, Steelcase recommends having a self-service area where returning patients can check themselves in, an administrative location where patients can fill out forms or ask questions, and an inviting welcome desk to bring a sense of friendliness into the clinic.
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| Family-Oriented Patient Rooms |
Steelcase’s article “New Insight into the Patient Experience” focuses on the idea that improved transition spaces can positively influence patients’ experience. Steelcase paints this picture of the typical waiting area in hospitals around the world. Usually, patients are hoarded into one small room, organized not to provide comfort or privacy to patients, but to make sure as many patients as possible can fit into one condensed space. Steelcase took these observations and created three guiding principles that should guide the design of transition spaces: balancing sight lines, rethinking density, and creating separation and togetherness. The guideline “balancing sight lines” comes from the observation that, while patients and their families enjoy views to nature, they care more about viewing information sources. “Rethinking density” focuses on the fact that only 80% of occupied chairs had clients sitting in them – the other 20% had drinks and other personal belongings. This guideline proves that less seating is required than previously thought and more storage should be available. Finally, “creating separation and togetherness” discusses the fact that people prefer to be separated from strangers while remaining close to their family.
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| Separate Family Seating |
Not only did Steelcase create these guidelines, but they also put them into practice. In order to create these updated, engaging transition spaces, Steelcase added lounge seating, double seats, rocking chairs, chairs with physical support, coffee spaces, additional outlets, as well as tables with space dividers. All of these design choices helped to increase comfort levels of patients as well as create speech and visual privacy. Steelcase recognizes that if you support the physical and psychosocial needs of your clients, they have a more positive experience which results in decreased stress and a greater likelihood to revisit the same clinic. Because government reimbursement for each clinic depends heavily on patient satisfaction, many healthcare organizations view transition spaces as a competitive advantage and as a necessity for patient satisfaction.
Catie,
ReplyDeleteI found your reflection on Steelcase Health very informative as we begin the NEXT project. Also, the article you chose was very interesting. I specifically found it interesting that transition spaces are a competitive advantage for healthcare facilities today. This will be crucial to remember when designing the transition spaces in the NEXT healthcare facility; finding a way to design spaces that make a positive impact on patients and their families, with the hopes that they will come again.
Overall, a thoughtful and relevant topic choice in regards to the NEXT project.
I thought the first paragraph of your summary this week sounded very similar to the things we heard at the showroom on Wednesday. I think it's so great that the articles we're reading are matching up so well with the hands-on experience we got to have at the Mart. Additionally in your first paragraph I think it's helpful that you included information specifically about out-patient clinics, which is very applicable to NEXT.
ReplyDeleteI think the guidelines for patient experiences are so helpful! The one that stuck out to me the most was creating separate family seating. When I first saw the photograph I thought that it didn't seem like a great idea, but when I read the reasoning for it I could actually see the logic behind it. Your summaries for this week are definitely full of useful information!
Catie, I thought it was very interesting that there is now a trend in having a self check-in center for returning patients. Someone asked me about that this morning actually, and I wasn't sure so now I know! I really liked the discussion on seating for family members and how only 80% of the chairs are sat in, and the rest are used for storage. I know when I've stayed in hospitals as a family member, I never know where to put my purse or backpack in those tight spaces. I need my things out to work in the downtime between when doctors and nurses come, but I always feel like my bags are in the way of foot-traffic. I'm curious to explore more of how Steelcase solves this problem while making the seating more efficient like you discussed in your article. This was a great topic to bring into our discussion!
ReplyDeleteCatie- New Insight Into the Patient Experience was an excellent article to gather research for our NEXT project. Supporting the family members of patients is so critical to the healing process!
ReplyDeleteThe three key values of Steelcase: balancing sight lines, rethinking density, and creating separation and togetherness are so relevant to our health care project.
I appreciate your images of quality interior settings.