Let’s face it: Most hospital patients would prefer to be just about anywhere other than a hospital room. They’re likely not feeling 100%, have little control over their environment and are unclear about the status of their health and treatment. Throw in concerns about keeping visiting family comfortable and minimizing everyone’s boredom and it’s easy to understand why.
Get the full article compendium: PATIENT ROOM OF THE FUTURE
But, what if we could redesign the hospital experience to make it more comfortable and accommodating for patients and families? For example, what if we created a patient room of the future that:
- Accommodates patient and family needs while also encouraging engagement
- Incorporates patients and clinicians into the planning and design process
- Integrates patient engagement and physician rounding
- Leverages the latest technologies to motivate patients to be actively involved in their own care
Thanks to the rapid advancement and pervasive influence of future-focused technology, the next iteration of the patient room is within reach. By harnessing digital connectivity, communication and access to information, hospitals can deliver a new level of comfort and convenience not typically associated with this setting.
So, what does building a smart room that streamlines, optimizes and improves the experience for patients, families and clinicians really entail?
Over the next few weeks, we’ll talk about exactly that in a three-part series on the patient room of the future. From technology to physical space design, we’ll dissect the components, and then peek behind the curtain at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to learn about the planning and design process that went into the construction of their new pediatric hospital. In the series’ final installment, we’ll explore how these forward-looking environments will influence the future of patient-centered care.
This is the first in a three-part blog series on “Building the patient room of the future, today.” Read part two here and read part three here.