Many parts of the world are facing aging population challenges and the increasing demand for acute medical treatment, while on the other hand, a shortage of M.D.s demands new solutions that would improve the workflow efficiency. The global outbreak of COVID-19 is currently posing a challenge for clean room operators and healthcare workers in general, and the need for the efficient and safety-driven design of healthcare facilities has become even more important in times of global health crisis. As new healthcare modules are being tested and adopted, the architecture and interior design of medical facilities continue to evolve. Let’s zoom in on the latest developments. 

Know your way

Some of the solutions that are being implemented in the latest healthcare buildings have already proven their effectiveness in hospitals and retail hubs. Using wayfinding markers like floor patterns, designs, and colors, building designers can make these facilities more easily navigable for patients. Due to specific conditions, flooring in trauma units needs to be durable and spill-resistant, as well as easy to sanitize. 

Use of resimercial designs

The marriage of “residential” and “commercial” is defined as traditionally home-like elements incorporated into commercial spaces, or now in healthcare facilities. Visiting a doctor already brings up much discomfort for many people, so by insisting on residential aesthetics, interior designers seem to have found a way to put anxious patients at ease. Features you’d more likely find in a home or beauty parlor, like comfortable sofas and polished wood-like vinyl flooring, can bring a lot of warmth to an otherwise emotionless and scientific setting. 

Integration of nature

The evolution in hospital construction has led to an evidence-based approach, where positive features were studied and augmented for more positive yields. Based on numerous studies that show a positive impact of natural elements on the patients’ mood and recovery, there’s an increase in efforts to include more natural spaces into healthcare facilities. The options are abundant and vary from the integration of earth themes throughout different levels to what is popularly known as the “tree approach”. The root-related theme starts at the ground level and works its way toward sky related themes at the topmost level. 

Rise of multi-use facilities

Hospitals and healthcare systems are increasingly investing in facilities that can accommodate patients who need mixed levels of medical services, including primary, care, inpatient services, and pharmacy. The trend of mixed-use facilities is expected to grow throughout 2020, as coordinated patient care and improved patient outcome are still among the top healthcare priorities. In the past, even major healthcare systems lacked the level of convenience that is made possible today. 

Also, the seating comfort and design elements aren’t always the priority in the areas where family and friends are waiting for news about their loved ones. Luckily, we see less of cold ‘bus stop’ seat pods. Modern waiting rooms should include flexible seating options that can be easily rearranged or moved around to accommodate the whole family, mother and child, a single visitor, etc. 

Lighting revolution

Quality and consistent interior lighting isn’t only essential for illuminating workspaces and patient areas but can be used to improve the recovery and overall patients’ mood. While LED technology is already being implemented into healthcare lighting, its benefits go beyond energy efficiency and cheaper operation. For areas such as clean rooms where precision is imperative and a sterile, germ-free environment is essential for optimal performance, brands such as BUCK offer clean room lighting that’s easy to maintain and can help meet rigorous hygienic requirements of such spaces. Modern medical-grade LED fixtures are in compliance with highest hygiene standards, equipped with both reliable direct light necessary for medical examinations, interventions and surgeries, and soft indirect illumination for patient recovery areas. 

Rise of micro-hospitals

As healthcare providers are expanding their patient networks into specifically targeted local markets, many of them are using micro-hospitals to reach remote or dense communities. Described as acute care centers that provide both ambulatory and emergency service, micro-hospitals have fewer beds and range in size from 15k to 50k square feet, which makes them suitable for operating in congested urban neighborhoods. With the current trend of pulling back on large projects, micro-hospitals offer an additional advantage of the reduced financial burden and reduced build time. 

VR construction methods

Construction companies are already experimenting with virtual reality tools that improve on-site efficiency and build times. As the healthcare industry is concerned, virtual reality (VR) allows hospital staff to gain insight and provide valuable input before construction even begins. Such a process saves time and money for builders, as they can use this professional feedback to reduce work order changes and potential equipment relocation. Virtual hospital representations allow the end-users to confirm spatial and equipment layout down to the last soap and paper towel dispenser, reducing usual delays that occur in the final stages of the project. 

Antimicrobial materials 

According to the U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 25 patients contracts a healthcare-related infection each day. To eliminate or at least reduce these cases, healthcare facility designers have begun using antimicrobial materials and finishes on interior fixtures and surfaces. Copper is, for example, known to naturally kill E. coli, the influenza A virus, and even strains of Staphylococcus aureus that are resistant to methicillin, so it’s considered an ideal material for door handles. Ceramics, glass, and even steel surfaces can be coated with photoactive pigments that kill microbes when exposed to artificial or natural UV light.

Healing spaces are expanding 

A lot of times the physical wounds of patients heal and even though the doctors did their best to help them both, they still leave the hospital sad or depressed. Besides their private problems affecting their mood, the hospital surroundings are not designed to be motivational but solely functional but that is about to change. The sustainable design relies on the green movement which in practical terms means more green space inside the hospital grounds, gardens, flowers, and trees. Also, adding a kitchen where patients can help with food preparation could be beneficial both for the staff and the patients who often complain about the quality of hospital food. Everyone contributing to a mutual cause is an important element of psychological healing. 

As healthcare construction projects head into the new year, builders and interior designers need to tackle increasing space demands and building expenses, but also consider energy reducing methods and industry-specific requirements that emerge from evolving medical care modules and approaches to public healthcare.