Insights & Solutions

The waiting room continues to be a major problem area in terms of patient and family experience, as well as organizational efficiency. Healthcare organizations struggle to accommodate high patient volumes and a variety of acuity levels, while patients and families deal with a roller-coaster of emotions, long wait times, and lack of privacy. The majority of research on the topic of waiting room design is based in case studies, which provide little generalizable evidence for further application.

This presentation provides information on the current incidence of healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals and design & construction considerations that can help prevent these outcomes. Examples of published outbreaks related to design and construction activity are provided. In addition, specific examples of design options and construction risk mitigation measures will be reviewed. 

From heightened anxiety and stress, to medical errors, to staff burnout, to HIPAA violations, that hospital noise is pandemic is well known. Ongoing efforts to reduce noise in hospitals, including the “quiet at night” campaigns, have limited success due to a misunderstanding regarding the characteristics of a restful environment. The auditory environment is the least controllable and the most pervasive, involving communications, technology, family dialogue, sounds of recovery and sounds of disease. This webinar provides both insights and frameworks for creating a healing, restful environment.

The webinar examines the latest strategies to use evidence-based design to strengthen hospital performance. Understand the basics of evidence-based design and the role that the built environment plays in improving the quality of care for patients and families, and how hospitals, architects and contractors can work together to evaluate, prioritize and apply design research in future projects.

This program spotlights leading case studies that explore the use of lean principles in the planning and design of the emergency department. Hear an overview of LEAN and recent applications for how it may be used as an essential design tool. From that context, participants examine individual case studies including project background, lean principles applied, and results achieved. Attendees will examine: simulation modeling as a method for determining facility size of an ED; the impact of an operational process on space that improves the efficiency of patient wait times; process modeling that informs the size of waiting spaces; and clinical processes that inform the design of the emergency department.

As pressure mounts to increase efficiency, improve outcomes, and reduce costs and readmissions, the imperative to provide the right care at the right time in the right place is stronger than ever. While the staggering growth of ED volumes and the increasing complexity of inpatient care create delays and challenge throughput, an answer might be found somewhere in between the ED or outpatient visit and the traditional inpatient admission - The Observation Patient. A new CMS “2-Midnight” guideline that redefines inpatient care and with mounting pressure to reduce readmissions, the observation patient is at the center of many strategies aimed at making healthcare more efficient. 

This webinar will guide you through incorporating ambulatory care design trends and evidenced-based design principles when designing for ambulatory facilities. Learn from success stories at the UW Health – Yahara Clinic, an outpatient facility in Monona, Wisconsin. The presentation highlights Yahara Clinic’s operational concept of self-rooming and design for Integrated Care Team space. Post occupancy outcomes will be shared, including an 83% reduction in staff footsteps and 25% improvement in patient satisfaction scores. 

This session reviews the research and design implemented by HDR at Central Washington and how it integrated lean strategies and all 8 steps of the evidence-based design process to deliver a new patient bed tower. Learn how these strategies have impacted both work processes and employee satisfaction. The presenters will discuss their methodology and results from the research conducted, and how that research impacted the design of the hospital, its occupants, and the efficiency of the building.

This webinar highlights research and advancements in lighting design and their positive impact on healthcare environments and the patients and caregivers within them. "Spectrally Enhanced" lighting more closely resembles the color of daylight and can be used to reduce lighting levels while still achieving the same visual acuity. In addition, a growing body of research indicates that using the dimming and color changing capabilities of LED lighting technology to mimic the qualities of natural daylight may improve circadian rhythm, task performance, mood, and visual acuity. 

Three units were analyzed including Critical Care, Medical Oncology and Obstetrics in order to track clinical behaviors and to identify opportunities for improvement for the newly designed space. The travel study indicated for all units measured that the time spent on value added care, the time spent on direct care, and the aisle effectiveness all increased from current to future state workflow and generally outperformed the national benchmarks for their corresponding unit types. Additionally, review the process and results of the post-occupancy evaluation.