Insights & Solutions

Learn about: how a unit redesign for UW Health will serve as a prototype for future redesign projects, why the new unit must be flexible to respond to a variety of staff and patient needs, and how a multidisciplinary team used a range of observational findings and current literature to inform the overall design process.

A White Paper Supporting the Healthcare at Home Interactive Design Diagrams

Learn about: how incorporating continuous improvement in the design process can benefit healthcare organizations, which Lean elements can serve as a framework for designers to approach a project, why design should be adaptive over time to accommodate changing needs, and how the evidence-based design process and Lean elements can complement each other.

ARCH Design’s goal was to complement the views of Forest Park and the bold super graphics already included in the design of the space with art that related to the hospital’s surrounding community and its rich cultural offerings. However, adhering to the stringent fire code was the highest priority, so the ARCH team researched materials and designed custom pieces that both exceeded safety standards and upheld this conceptual framework.

The goals of this project were to discover the challenges of a new entry portal and determine design decisions to enable clarity for patients, families, and staff and to create an entry that matched the vision of this world-class hospital.

The following table provides a crosswalk of design categories in the built environment (e.g., unit layout) and safety issues to consider in behavioral and mental health settings (e.g., blind spots). This table is meant to serve as a high-level roadmap for design considerations in conjunction with the online Safety Risk Assessment (SRA) toolkit (www.healthdesign.org/sra). It is not intended to serve as a substitute for the online version of the SRA tool.

Based on a 2016 survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that 18% of adults in the U.S. had a mental illness in the previous year

This webinar explores how MedStar Health is using fast-track design to help catalyze a new model of behavioral health, using the reduction of barriers, small house concepts and interior design strategies to create positive environments where patients are positively impacted. 

This webinar explores how STUDIO E, an ERDMAN Center of Thought Leadership & Innovation in Healthcare, is working with several behavioral health clients on the hypothesis, “Can concepts driving culture change in senior living and other aspects of  healthcare – such as small household design and on-stage/off-stage planning – translate in a behavioral healthcare setting to facilitate an effective balance between safety and patient comfort, dignity, and control?”

This list of resources is made of up of policies and organizations related to behavioral and mental health. Use this list to learn more about this topic.