In this course, you have completed a preliminary investigation of trends in facility design practices and a community needs assessment. Now, imagine that two physicians learned about your research and
Historical Trends Influencing Facility Design: A 50-Year Perspective
November 04, 2024
Historical Trends Influencing Facility Design: A 50-Year Perspective
There have been many advancements in the severity of health ailments that call for care, technological innovation, and innovative approaches in the construction of facilities. Two megatrends that have significantly affected facility design are an increase in outpatient services and increased implementation of technology in the healthcare setting.
Trend 1: Shift from Inpatient to Outpatient Care
Historical Perspective (1970s)
In the 1970s, related Avoidant and Ambivalent attachment patterns during childhood were associated with the later development of separate aspects of psychopathology. Hospitals came with long-term treatment services for the patients, with many large wards and many inpatient rooms. Some of them included managing large open areas for patients' beds, operation theatre, and recovery areas meant for longer stays as Kessler & Aunger (2022) pointed out. The patients especially those who were undergoing surgeries or treatments, always remained in the hospitals for several days or even weeks, the emphasis was not on short-stay or day surgery treatments, but on long stay and the availability of facilities to accommodate them (Marberry, Guenther & Berry, 2022).
Current Evolution
Currently, outpatient has replaced the traditional inpatient procedure and influenced healthcare facility design. The Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) are thus defined as day-only facilities for surgery that permit some patients to be discharged on the same day as surgery. This model focuses on cost-effectiveness, patient comfort, and architecture that can support short-term visits excluding the elaborate inpatient facilities that were earlier essential (Cardinal Health, 2024). While ASCs generally contain relatively fewer overnight beds and more procedure rooms designed for fast turnaround and rapid turnover. This progress is consistent with developments in minimally invasive surgery and better anesthesia, which leads to shorter recovery periods and hospitalization (Kessler & Aunger, 2022).
Reasons for Change
The changes in demands for outpatient care could be attributed to technology, cost, and patient's preference for daily routines. Advanced technology in surgery has led to limited stay inpatient admission since most procedures can be done on an outpatient basis. Healthcare costs have also played a role in this change since outpatient facilities cost less than traditional hospital admissions. Furthermore, patients desire enhanced recovery leading to shorter stay time in hospitals hence making ASC favorable to patients and more efficient.
Personal Experience
This trend has been felt in my family setting. The case of my relatives that occurred in the 1980s can be used to illustrate this idea A close relative needed a surgical operation that would take a week in the hospital. However, a similar procedure in recent years was carried out in an ASC to be discharged on the same day. Such differences can be attributed to changes in the layout of the facility and adaptations to focus on outpatient services.
Trend 2: Integration of Technology in Healthcare Facilities
Historical Perspective (1970s)
Healthcare technology back in the 1970s was restricted. Measures included limited use of written documentation, immature instruments as diagnostic means, and simple patient monitoring. Hospitals had rooms for papers and open space for diagnostic devices that had no integration with computer systems (Thottempudi & Kumar, 2024). Before the use of such records or innovative health technologies, the facilities were not as complex structures, and not as reliant on technology as the present ones.
Current Evolution
Technology has greatly evolved in the last five decades to revolutionize the construction of healthcare facilities. Current practices include the implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), enhanced imaging equipment, and virtual telemedicine rooms. This shift requires separate rooms for secure data centers, specific rooms for imaging, and telemedicine rooms for virtual consultations. They have become rich in extensive networking and secured digital features which the contemporary patient care delivery system requires.
Reasons for Change
The changes in technology have been driven by the need for optimization, enhanced diagnostic capabilities, and better care for patients. For instance, the implementation of EHRs has enabled the enhancement of time efficiency in information sharing and care coordination. The current advancement of telemedicine especially after COVID-19 has also increased the access to care, patient satisfaction, and outcomes, therefore; integrated technology as a basic construction in the facility (Thottempudi & Kumar, 2024).
Personal Experience
For such simple checks in the current years, telemedicine has been of great value to me, an opportunity that did not exist before. This convenience underlines the significance of integrated technology as an essential component in the overall landscape of the healthcare system, including the design of contemporary healthcare facilities.
Future Trends in Facility Design
Prospective development of healthcare facility design In the future, there will be a certain development of healthcare facility design based on new requirements and technological advances. Reliability is emerging as an important factor, and more facilities are now installing reliable energy systems and structures made of sustainable materials to minimize effects on the environment. Other design features that seem to be emerging include the fluid spaces that enable the alteration of rooms in line with patients’ requirements or with available technologies. Furthermore, convenience in terms of patient and staff comfort and satisfaction, including concepts like healing gardens and natural light exposure, are projected to further influence the design of facilities in the future (Marberry, Guenther & Berry, 2022).
Current Trends Affecting Ambulatory Surgical Centers
As ASCs are a part of outpatient care, several current trends affect them. They are increasing the number of available procedures such as intricate operations previously only done in hospitals due to medical advancement and the accessibility of regulations (Jumah, 2024). The use of technology involving better equipment and techniques in surgery as well as better records in the EHR improves the result of treatments and fosters efficiency. The convenience for patients is still a significant aspect as ASCs do not take as long as the hospitals to get an appointment and have less of a hospital-like setting (Steiner et al., 2020).
References
AORN Periop Today. (2024, January 10). 2024 ASC Changes, Trends & Issues. Retrieved from https://www.aorn.org/article/asc-industry-insider-looking-ahead-to-2024
Cardinal Health. (2024, April 17). Rapid growth for ambulatory surgery centers: Meeting market demand and customer needs. Retrieved from https://newsroom.cardinalhealth.com/2024-04-17-Rapid-growth-for-ambulatory-surgery-centers-Meeting-market-demand-and-customer-needs
Jumah, A. (2024). Self-Reporting Aspects regarding Blockchain and Financing Decisions.
Kessler, S. E., & Aunger, R. (2022). The evolution of the human healthcare system and implications for understanding our responses to COVID-19. Evolution, medicine, and public health, 10(1), 87-107.
Marberry, S. O., Guenther, R., & Berry, L. L. (2022). Advancing human health, safety, and well-being with healthy buildings. Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy, 6.
Steiner, C. A., Karaca, Z., Moore, B. J., Imshaug, M. C., & Pickens, G. (2020). Surgeries in hospital-based ambulatory surgery and hospital inpatient settings, 2014.
Thottempudi, P., & Kumar, V. (2024). The Role of IoT in Modern Healthcare: Innovations and Challenges in Pandemic Era. In Technologies for Sustainable Healthcare Development (pp. 57-80). IGI Global.
