The Patient’s Environment Matters – but so does yours!

We often hear about creating environments that are conducive for patient healing and patient satisfaction. With patients having greater choice regarding providers and systems, creating spaces that are centered on the patient has become increasingly more important to healthcare systems across the nation.

Evidence-based design studies, particularly in the field of healthcare, have proven that our physical surroundings, our daily environment, affects us in very real ways. Focusing on the patient environment has been, and will continue to be, a critical part of the way spaces are designed; however, attention also needs to be given to the spaces in which the providers work. How a provider interacts with their environment is equally important to the design of a space and critical to the care that they can provide to their patients.

When a nurse, physician, pharmacist, counselor or other provider works in an environment that helps them work more efficiently, with less waste, better flow, and opportunities for appropriate collaboration, the care they give to their patients improves.

Focusing solely on the patient’s physical environment can be detrimental to the overall function and longevity of your healthcare staff and space. Spending the time and effort to recognize not only their priorities, needs and expectations, but also those of your caregivers, can have a significant impact on the success of your project.