Not so long ago I proposed that the industry stop talking about the future so much and focus more on the present. Well, I’m now about to eat my own words. But you know what, I don’t mind a bit because what I saw on Sam Basta’s Healthcare Innovation by Design blog stopped me in my tracks.
Check out the graphic at the top of the post and you’ll know exactly what I mean. It highlights where healthcare can and should be in the not-too-distant future, but just as importantly it makes you think of where we are today and the big changes that are needed.
Maybe you’re thinking this already, but doesn’t that ward look similar to the first-class area of a long-haul flight? What this tells us is that the design isn’t so radical after all, but effectively brings healthcare up-to-date with other sectors - where service delivery is made a priority.
Simply put, what you see here is what healthcare has to aspire to.
The blog also makes a number of interesting design points, a couple of which caught my eye. The first one is that healthcare environments need to be thought out from the top down, not from the bottom up. It’s common knowledge that all too often our environments “emerge” (as Sam points out in his blog) so that you end up with a rather bloated set up resulting in inefficiencies and waste. This has to change.
The other point I really like is the need for flexible spaces. This could have a major impact on the quality of care, giving patients an environment to meet their specific needs. In Sam’s view it means the “better use of small spaces, creating solutions for toileting or more solid dividing walls for better privacy”.
See, I think it was worth eating those words of mine.
Michael,
Thanks for the shoutout. Enjoy your website. Can't take credit for the post about just reblogged from Joe Heinowski who blogs about healthcare architecture and design. Look forward to connecting at some point.
Sam