CREJ - Healthcare Properties - January 2018
Technology made large populations possible; large populations now make technology indispensable.” - Joseph Krutch Although writer Krutch passed away in 1970, long before the modern inventions of today, he clearly saw the potential that technology would bring to our lives. In recent Health Care Properties Quarterly articles, we highlighted parking conveniences and building smaller, stand-alone facilities as ways health care facilities are enhancing patient experiences, while also reducing overhead costs and increasing operating efficiencies. Another key area enhancing patient experiences is technology integration. One example of technology that is making an impact on the patient experience is the integration of self-service kiosks in hospitals and medical facilities. Self-service kiosk technology works beautifully in airports, banks, supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, movie rental facilities and the list goes on. Medical facilities seem the next logical application for this convenient, user-driven technology. Kroger supermarkets’ The Little Clinic continues to expand convenience and accessibility for its patients with “We’ll Hold Your Spot,” an online tool that allows patients to reserve a place in line before they get to a clinic. Once patients arrive at the clinic, they use a self-service kiosk to check themselves in for care. The Little Clinic and numerous other medical facilities regularly embrace technology for patient check-in and to distribute general information. Patients check-in for an appointment on their own and complete registration forms. Through queueing software and digital monitors, emergency room patients gain an estimated wait time for a doctor to visit them. Through informational kiosks in exam rooms, patients learn prevention and potential treatment for medical diagnoses. Kiosks also are used for vetting vendors before they receive access to the back office. Inside these health care facilities, cutting-edge technology is used for maximum patient convenience. For example, facilities are bringing imaging technology into the patient rooms instead of moving patients to a centralized imaging location. What’s Driving the new Technology for Health Care Organizations? Enhancing patient experiences, reducing administration costs and increasing operational efficiencies are driving new technology for health care organizations. These three drivers represent the future for hospital construction. Health Facilities Management’s 2016 Hospital Construction Survey, conducted in cooperation with the American Society for Healthcare Engineering, surveyed nearly 250 U.S. hospitals regarding their construction (renovation and new build) objectives. Overwhelmingly, patient convenience was the primary objective and workflow efficiency was the key to improving the patient experience. Specifically, long registration times, breakdowns in staff communication and delays in patient care were top barriers to efficiency. To combat these issues, hospitals are turning to kiosk services, as well as flexible, adaptable patient rooms and furniture. Modular designs offer freedom for facilities to adapt spaces for future needs. Hospitals also rely on new technology to improve communication and decrease interruptions, including zoned rooms and departments for paging efficiencies. “The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life,” as Bill Gates once said. Contractors play a pivotal role in integrating cutting-edge technology into their health care clients’ projects. At the core, contractors need to understand their clients’ current and future needs for a facility, partner with excellent technology subcontractors and focus on project coordination. Contractors need to integrate the technology into the interior design of the facility so the end result is a relaxed environment where patients have ample access to comfortably check themselves in and get needed medical information. Contractors also must work closely with specialty contractors to deliver homelike patient rooms with built-in wired and wireless technology infrastructures, such as electronic beds, bar-coding equipment, HVAC and lighting controls. Technology and mobility is built into the wall systems and mounting apparatus with the goal of process efficiency that leads to enhanced patient experiences and reduced operational costs. For renovations, many health care facilities remain operational during construction, representing additional challenges. Construction vibration often impacts technology used in operating rooms, imaging rooms and lab operations. Contractors should perform appropriate vibration testing prior to construction and also coordinate work so the project won’t interrupt the client’s normal business operations. Simply put, contractors must be knowledgeable about current and upcoming technology needs for hospitals. We must know our health care clients’ objectives, secure appropriate partnerships with specialty subcontractors, coordinate projects expertly and serve as trusted advisers for clients. When health care clients integrate indispensable technology into patient areas so it fits in and they don’t even notice it, contractors have done their jobs well.