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Simone Healthcare Development Shares Key Design Trends

By Roxanne Squires

BRONX, N.Y. — Simone Healthcare Development, a New York-based hospital construction company, reviews architecture trends that best support the current needs of healthcare as a part of their commitment to supporting the needs of the medical community.

To support optimal patient health, the patient must be cared by a skilled and compassionate medical team — however a team cannot be effective without a quality facility to practice.

Hospital architecture tailored to the needs of the community can improve happiness and health of patients and employees alike.

According to Simone Healthcare Development, following these three key trends in hospital architecture can provide for a better patient experience.

First, hospitals must Focus on Functionality — creating comfort and convenience is essential for patients, their family and employees.

However, hospital construction should support functionality and operations first and foremost. The primary goal of any healthcare facility is to maintain patient health, and any new construction should ensure efficiency and patient care as its first priority.

Having healthy and happy employees means having healthy and happy patients, and it’s the responsibility of hospital leadership to foster a work environment that aids healthcare providers in doing their job as easily as possible.

From easy access to cutting-edge equipment, to layouts that create treatment efficiency, there are various ways that hospital leadership can design a building with effective operation in mind.

The second trend is the integration of Electronic Messaging Boards. 

Messaging boards are able to offer both functionality and comfort to patients, allowing easy access to treatment information in the waiting room, including wait times and the check-in process. This helps to alleviate what is typically a stressful experience for patients and makes it much more manageable.

The third trend is focusing on Patient Experience. During hospital visits, patients and their families may spend a significant amount of time waiting.

Whether it’s waiting to receive treatment or waiting for the doctor in the treatment rooms themselves, even the best-run hospitals have a limited amount of resources and employees that often end up stretched thin.

While the wait may be unavoidable, some simple design choices can make the biggest difference when it comes to the patient experience.

During construction, hospitals must consider easy access to food and beverages as well as having outlets available for patients and their families to plug in their devices.

Even something as simple as providing comfortable seating can make for a more favorable treatment experience.

Reports from Simone Healthcare Development contributed to this story.