Fit for healthcare

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There are countless ways in which good design can enhance healthcare environments – not just for the patient, but for their families and caregivers too.

It might be a simple case of moving a sink to increase the opportunity for staff to wash their hands, or placing a light beneath a monitor arm to ensure that nurses don’t make mistakes because they can’t see properly, explained Phyllis Goetz, global director, A&D and networks, Nurture by Steelcase.

It might be a case of adding a rail that leads all the way from the bed to the bathroom, to reduce the number of patient falls. Or introducing tables that taper inwards at the base so that they don’t get scuffed by wheelchairs and trolleys. Sometimes even the smallest of design details can have the most far-reaching of consequences.

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Healthcare design is a constant balancing act between the aesthetic and the scientific. Spaces must be designed to support medical staff, minimise medical errors and reduce the spread of infection, but they must also provide comfort and solace to patients and their families.

“You have to strike a balance because part of healing is putting people at ease,” Goetz explained. “If they are in an environment that looks like it might harm them or that they are not comfortable with, they are not as open to healing, even with the right medicine.

“So I think you have to strike the balance of supporting the process and enabling people to do their jobs, while providing an environment that is soothing and encourages healing,” she said.

Nurture by Steelcase has dedicated itself to reassessing and revolutionising healthcare environments. Using evidence-based design, the company develops products for almost all areas of the healthcare environment, except beds, exam tables and medical storage units. The company is also involved in the development of healthcare-friendly materials.

“We started this journey seven or eight years ago,” said Goetz, who was in Dubai last month to speak at the Hospital Build Congress. “And there was no one else approaching the topic in the way that we did.

“We did our research. What was going on? What were the behaviours? What did we think could be improved or enhanced? From that, we developed products and published research papers and articles to help people see that if they change the space, they can change the experience of the patients, the staff and of, course, the family and visitors.”

Healthcare processes are evolving rapidly, particularly as the influence of technology spreads.

Unfortunately, the spaces themselves are often unable to adapt in response.

“What we’re seeing is that people within the facilities are trying to adapt their processes to those changes but the space that they are in has been primarily fitted with fixed furniture, so it’s very difficult to let the space enable that change. Instead it tends to disable that change.”

On the other hand, public awareness of opportunities for improvement is growing, placing increasing pressure on hospitals to evolve. “It has become much more public how many patients die from medical errors, or the impact of infection on a patient and their family. And with that awareness comes demand for better spaces,” said Goetz.

When it comes to effective healthcare facilities, it is essential to build flexibility and adaptability into the design, she continued. “Most hospitals have to last a very long time. It is not uncommon to find a hospital that is 40 years old.

“So, one of the key trends is having flexibility and adaptability. We do our best to understand what’s coming in the future but unless you have a crystal ball, nobody really knows. However, if you build in enough adaptability and flexibility, the product can move and change and support.

“I think another big issue is access to power. The more we evolve, the more we plug in. All of our devices are becoming digital, so there needs to be as much power and as much access to that as possible – and at desk height so people don’t have to be crawling around on the floor.”

Signifying the importance of the Middle East market, Dubai has become the first international launch site for Nurture by Steelcase, outside of its home market of the US. Other recent developments at the company include the launch of two new products at NeoCon: a technology cart called Pocket that is lightweight, entirely silent and features moveable magnetic accessories, and a new seating series called Tava.

“It gives us a great sense of pride to know that when people at are their worst, we are making a difference,” Goetz concluded.