Patient Experience Surveys Guide Change, Like Access to Care

Patient Experience Surveys guide change in healthcare design. They have become so important that it is now one of the first steps administrators and designers take when beginning a renovation or a new project. Asking patients the question “How can we make this better?” drives change in processes and design in healthcare.

The steps taken to research patient experience is worth the extra effort. The data gleaned from patient surveys spurs innovation. Changes that improve process and design increase quality of care, creates more access, eliminates waste, and ultimately lowers costs.

Survey Finds Location a Top Factor in Patient Experience

Proximity to a healthcare facility may be a bigger factor than ever in where patients choose to seek care, according to a recent survey by JLL, a real estate and investment management firm. In the polls, 83 percent of patients stated they would prefer to be near their care rather than driving farther to a new or renovated facility. (Source)

Access to Care

Perhaps you’ve seen new clinics pop up in strip malls in your hometown. Similar to the image shown here, access to care is improving. Many of the new options are or will be found in your neighborhood. The emphasis on accessibility was essentially born from the question, how can we make healthcare better? The answer: Make it more accessible.

This larger sense of what access means has resulted in smaller facilities, located in accessible locations such as neighborhood strip malls and furnished with modern equipment that is multi-functional.

See How A Vacant Kmart Was Converted Into a Primary Care Clinic

Marie Wikoff is the creator of Wikoff Design Studio based out of Reno, Nevada. Her expertise in healthcare design has helped modernize healthcare organizations locally, regionally, and internationally, improving patient experience and outcomes. Her credentials include Evidence-Based Design Accreditation and Certification (EDAC), American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designer (CHID), the National Council of Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) and LEED AP. Contact Marie Wikoff

Sources:

Healthcare Design – January/February 2021, 2021, www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/healthcaredesign/20210102/index.php?fbclid=IwAR11S-vlG9Q112_yDs1tbQVpp35l4TDfKssLeJu-bJY2jDZUd4ase5Kl6uM.

Featured Image:

New York September 20, 2020 Signs announce the future home of a CityMD urgent care facility in the Upper West Side neighborhood in New York