Blog
The Best Waiting Rooms of 2014
Hospital waiting rooms are no longer “just a place to wait”. Today, healthcare designers are working with hospital administrators to turn waiting rooms into much more. Now waiting areas are being used to make a great first impression, put patients and family members at ease, and get a let up on the competition. Below is an excerpt from an article written by Anne DiNardo, Senior Editor of HealthcareDesignMagazine.com. The photo’s show some of the best waiting rooms in 2014. To see the whole article in it’s original form, click here.
The patient experience is taking on a whole new level of importance for providers, as the industry shifts to a value-based service model, where outcomes and satisfaction drive reimbursements.
“Most hospitals have been focused on the back-of-house operations, where everything was about volume and efficiency,” says Michael Lied, director of healthcare, principal, GBBN Architects (Cincinnati). “Now the value is shifting to the front of the house and the customer service aspect.”
To that end, the waiting room and the overall waiting experience have fallen under new scrutiny, particularly the traditionally stale environments where patients and visitors might pass what feels like excruciatingly long periods of time. Providers are engaging designers to create spaces that make patients and visitors feel comfortable, appreciated, and valued for their time while setting their organization apart from others.
This shift is driving changes in the design approach, from the right-sizing of these spaces to the aesthetics, furnishings, and technologies that are being put to use. Read more….
Source: http://www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com/article/waiting-rooms-how-design-impress
