Take A Creative Approach to Healthcare Design Because Logic Doesn’t Always Prevail When it Comes to Our Health

Today I was reading an interview on HealthcareDesignMagazine.com between the Executive Editor Anne DiNardo and healthcare design professional Steven Merahn. One of the ideas shared was ‘Logic doesn’t always prevail when it comes to our health.’

I love that Steven Merahn brought this up because it’s so true. In his words, healthcare or the act of providing healthcare is pretty much left-brained—grounded in structured knowledge and informational learning, detail-oriented, and driven by reason.

But patients tend to be more right-brained about their health. Even in the face of such knowledge, patients and families are emotional, imaginative, intuitive, and theoretical.

In a stressful situation or under duress, the right-brain functions can overwhelm the left brain’s capacity to sense, receive, and respond to information, which can be disruptive to a patient’s ability to understand their situation and make good decisions.

If we want to improve health systems to increase the quality of health of patients and communities, we need to take a creative approach to healthcare design and remember that the right-brain is in the room. The design needs to be tactile and efficient but also emotionally responsive, authentic and sincere.

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

Source:

DiNardo, Anne. “Take 5 With Dr. Steven Merahn.” HCD Magazine, 11 Sept. 2019, www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com/trends/perspectives/take-5-with-dr-steven-merahn/.