Insights & Solutions

Learn about: how the aging of the population contributes to overcrowding in EDs today, why some hospitals are creating ED areas specifically for seniors, with enhanced lighting, non-slip flooring, and other safety features, the need for Clinical Decision Units to provide a place for emergency patients who require a longer stay in order to free up space in the ED, and the challenges that behavioral health and chemical dependency patients pose to EDs, and how best to address these issues.

As part of the ED throughput toolbox, in this issue brief you will learn about ED metrics related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, innovative strategies to reduce crowding, minimize wait times, and maximize care quality in the Emergency Department, and how the design of the built environment in the Emergency Department can best support strategies for improved throughput.

Drawing on the roots of public health, a new focus on population health has become a national mandate driven by financial incentives such as updated insurance models, changes in reimbursement, and long-term savings potential.

Healthcare systems, hospitals, and clinics are integrating population health as a key part of their mission, operations, and services. It is imperative for designers, architects, and planners to understand this new landscape and their important role in designing for health.  

The following are compiled from research literature, case studies, interviews, and other materials to provide an overview on the topic of patient-centered medical homes.  

A key effort in healthcare reform, the rapidly growing and evolving patient-centered medical home model of care calls for design innovations to support its successful implementation.

Learn about: Why every healthcare delivery system should reflect the needs of its community, how reorganizing care teams can improve patient satisfaction without demanding additional resources, and proactive population health modeling tools that enable real-time responses to health trends.

Learn about: Patient-centered medical home (PCMH) principles, implementation, and evaluation, operational strategies supporting the principles of PCMH, and environmental design features of PCMH found in recent design and research publications.

As part of the patient-centered medical home toolbox, in this issue brief you will learn about patient-centered medical home (PCMH) principles, implementation, and evaluation, operational strategies supporting the principles of PCMH, and environmental design features of PCMH found in recent design and research publications.