The Impacts of Medical Patient Room Design on Recovery

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When a patient is confined to a room due to illness, injury, or surgery, the medical patient room design can drastically impact the healing process. Thankfully for the patient population, medical facility design firms are making strides in considering these impacts and incorporating patient health into medical patient room design. Intelligent room design is a newer concept, as healthcare facilities were previously constructed to suit the needs of caregivers rather than those of the patient, and physical surroundings weren’t considered an integral part of the healing process.

Today, there is a heightened awareness of how patient room design impacts recovery, and it’s affecting how the healthcare industry is looking at designing and constructing medical care facilities. With a greater focus on providing a healing atmosphere for patients, facilities are moving toward more single-patient rooms, reducing noise and overhead announcements, installing sound absorbing floor and ceiling materials, and increasing exposure to natural light and surroundings for their patients in recovery.

With benefits such as reducing patient stays, improving overall patient mood, and reducing the use of pain killers, the choice to increase natural lighting, offer outside views, and provide soothing art installations are well worth incorporating into the medical patient room design of a modern day healthcare facility. Design firms are focusing on accommodating both the business of healthcare and the need for quality patient care in a medical environment. Many patient care rooms today seem to replicate those of hotel rooms, as opposed to offering their residents institutionally dull aesthetics, poor lighting, and windowless walls. As a result, patients of all ages – from neonatal intensive care patients to the elderly – are realizing the manifold benefits of private rooms and suites that are clean, quiet, and geared toward the specific needs of the patients who inhabit them.

Along with a new perspective of how patient room design impacts recovery is an increased understanding of how these facility design improvements better accommodate patient visitors and family members. Studies have shown that private rooms reduce patient stress, enable better quality sleep, increase the privacy and feelings of dignity for the patient, assist with inner healing and peace of mind, and speed up recovery times in general. Family members who visit or spend the night are also more comfortable and relaxed and experience less worry and stress over their loved ones’ recovery. The overarching idea is to create a more home-like environment to instill confidence among patients and their families.

Contact the medical facility construction team at Apex Design Build to learn more about medical patient room design and how patient room design impacts recovery. With a background of over 70 years in healthcare architecture, design, construction, and finishing services, we’re proud to be part of today’s exciting advancements in medical facility design. We’re here to help you create or redesign your medical facility into your vision of the perfect practice.

 

Creating a Therapeutic Environment

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For a doctor or dentist, patient care should be at the center of every decision, and that means creating a therapeutic environment. Your office is more than a simple chair and routine medical equipment. It’s a place where patients can initiate the healing process.

A patient may be anxious before or during their appointment. A therapeutic environment has a calming effect, reduces stress, and makes the patient feel comfortable with your care. In order for patients to have a positive experience, make sure you consider the details behind layout and design.

A therapeutic environment:

  • Promotes healing
  • Supports the needs of the patient and staff
  • Provides a measurable impact on patient outcomes

It’s easy to focus in on the big decisions when you are trying to create a patient-centered practice. Your philosophical approach to care, the tools, and the technology are of course important.

Below are some basic factors to consider when it comes to creating a therapeutic environment that will improve your practice’s level of care.

 

Creating a Therapeutic Environment

 

Choose the Right Colors

Your room colors and furniture should promote peace and tranquility. Various shades of blue can help you create a calming effect. White walls offer a neutral feel and leave room for some paintings or a bolder color statement with furniture. Pediatricians can use more color in their waiting room, since they are designing with kids in mind.

While the impact of your color choices may not seem overtly important, it can have a lasting subliminal impact on the patient’s frame of mind and overall experience.

Reduce Environmental Stressors

A practice’s waiting room should always be clean and uncluttered. You can offer your patients a variety of reading materials to make their wait more convenient but keep them organized and presentable. It also helps to make sure they aren’t too dated.

If you have a children’s waiting area, make sure that the books and toys are routinely picked up and put away.

Make sure that furniture is routinely dusted, and floors are routinely swept and vacuumed. Other environmental stressors may include a glare from the lights or poor air quality. When these are eliminated, the patient experience can improve. These may seem like the smaller details, but they make a significant difference in patient care.

Noise Reduction

When you are designing your practice, make sure to factor in acoustics. Noise reduction plays a significant role in creating a therapeutic environment. As a patient, you wouldn’t necessarily want to hear everything occurring in the room next to you – especially if it is playing up any anxiety or fears brought on by your medical condition or the visit.

If sound is already a factor within your office, white noise machines may help. They create a stronger sense of calm amongst your patients, and they can show that you value patient privacy.

Exposure to Nature

Whenever possible you can design your office with a view of nature. Interior or exterior gardens, aquariums and artwork with a natural theme all offer a soothing feel.

 

Conclusion

Your practice’s reputation and brand are built on creating a positive patient experience. Creating a therapeutic environment plays a significant role. This type of soothing environment can have a positive impact on your staff as well – improving the level of patient care.

If you have any questions or would like to talk about what this means for your practice, contact us today!

 

 

Plastic Surgery Interior Office Design Tips

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Our forte, at Apex Design Build, is to design and build the best medical and dental offices around. In fact, we have worked on a staggering array of healthcare office buildouts and renovations across our decades-long stay on the job. We began as a small family business, based on the values and passions of our founder. Today, we are one of the most innovative and dynamic design-build companies in all of America.

We believe in fully integrated design and plastic surgeon clinic construction services for our clients. We can also offer you bespoke services, such as custom cabinetry and storage solutions. Plus, a range of plastic surgery interior office design services to suit your needs. One that will control foot traffic, promote productivity, and ensure many happy patients keep returning.

First Impressions

It’s important to take note of how quickly your practice grows and in what direction. You should always be on the lookout for opportunities to improve. With the best practice possible, you can focus on your patients and how to make them happy. Plastic surgery interior office design is as essential as construction. It plays a major role in creating ambient healthcare environments to put patients at ease. You can use decorative elements like colors and furniture to create a positive vibe. But be sure to use these elements to make it clear which spaces are private and which open and semi-private. If your plastic surgery clinic doesn’t give the best first impression possible, then patients may not return. Think about why patients visit your practice. Patients want to reinvent themselves, but, most of all, to look beautiful. Your plastic surgery clinic should do the same.

Atmosphere

There’s no reason your plastic surgery should struggle with plain design and boring colors. In fact, this can often be detrimental to your success. It also has a positive effect on your metrics, such as patient retention, flow, and growth. It shouldn’t be too flashy, of course, but should provide a calm and relaxing atmosphere for patients. Plastic surgery is a sensitive subject after all, and patients want to feel at home before they enter surgery. We believe plastic surgeon clinic construction should work with interior design to create the best environment for your patients. We recommend taking advantage of our exceptional plastic surgery interior office design services.

Waiting Room

Comfort is everything in a good waiting room. This is one of the most important aspects of plastic surgery interior office design to get right. If you don’t get this one step right, other problems could be lurking where you least expect them. Everything starts with the waiting room, the first step on a patient’s journey. With our expertise, you can count on us to deliver a waiting room that ticks all the boxes for your plastic surgery interior office design. Not only can a good waiting room improve patients’ satisfaction, but also your plastic surgery clinic’s profitability.

Call Apex to Start Your Project!