Insights & Solutions

For over 30 years, ambulatory care environments have been a major force in patient care delivery.  Today’s drivers of new technology, less invasive procedures, the Affordable Care Act, and consumer demands, are transforming these environments right out of the box. We are seeing new delivery model of specialized clinics in strip malls and even wellness campus providing a full spectrum of outpatient care and the Veteran Affairs developing the Medical Home and Telemedicine. And it is all happening with lightning speed. Outpatient surgeries have increased by two thirds since 2006. Nearly 75% of elective surgeries are performed as outpatient procedures, and it is not stopping there.

With an unprecedented growth in clinic construction, clinic leaders across the nation increasingly recognize the potential benefits of an evidence-based clinic design approach in improving patient, staff, and organizational outcomes. However, knowledge gaps widely exist and knowledge sharing is impeded by the lack of a central information repository. The webinar will focus on the development and testing of a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) tool as well as a database for community health centers to enable building evaluation and sharing of findings. 

Some estimates project Community Health Centers will need to invest between $10.5 - $13.1 billion in facility construction, renovation and expansions between now and 2015 to keep up with patient demand – what better time to think about how the design of those facilities can improve the patient experience and healthcare outcomes. In this panel discussion, four experts share unique perspectives, strategies and recommendations for healthcare providers considering renovation/remodel or new facility construction. 

Positive distractions have been found to reduce stress and improve healthcare outcomes. However, research on this topic is generally lacking in certain pediatric settings. This webinar details recent studies that examined the effects of positive distraction interventions on pediatric patients and their families but used different methods in different settings. The in-depth findings and practical knowledge around the process of implementing two research studies is beneficial to researchers and designers.

Twelve sponsoring health systems, representing 500 hospitals and 30 billion in purchasing, have kicked off the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, a free, three-year initiative, where enrollees can build upon their proven environmental improvement strategies for cost savings and measured environmental improvements.  Learn about the Healthier Hospitals Initiative and be part of a growing movement of facilities and organizations that are working together create healthier environments and lead communities to a healthier future.