“A healthcare facility, by nature of its complexity and its dependence on technology, is always in a state of flux,” writes Rosalyn Cama in her book Evidence-Based Healthcare Design.
Working in an environment of constant change makes healthcare management incredibly challenging – when each day is different, strategic planning becomes a tricky balance between leaning on assumptions and covering hypothetical scenarios.
In the case studies below, the application of design thinking to common healthcare questions gives insight into how this tool could make finding this balance a little easier.
Thinking deeply about how staff and patients will behave in each area of a hospital can reveal opportunities for in-built technology use. In Cama’s book, she cites an ICU in Wisconsin where nurse data entry stations are in-built, but strategically placed to allow line of sight into multiple patient rooms, as an excellent example of how design can improve staff efficiency.
In bringing the LiFE Kinnex battery system to market, Ergotron has considered how this problem could be tackled in a new way. Instead of looking at methods of battery resupply, the company has equipped LiFE batteries with smart software that offers quick and readily accessible reports on each battery’s health. With this reassurance, unnecessary battery replacements can be avoided – saving significant expenditure and waste.
“It can be a challenge to visualise how our teams will work with patients and carers in new spaces,” said Westmead Redevelopment’s director of service redesign Amanda Green, “so the prototype rooms will allow us to do final tests and checks while we refine our new operational processes.”
This upfront investment in design thinking will mean decisions big and small – from where to locate power points to how medicines are distributed – will be informed by realistic insight into the needs and expectations of everyone involved.
Whether your healthcare institution is established or under construction, Ergotron can help find design solutions that turn your workplace of today into an example for tomorrow. Contact us today to get started.
