Medical Construction & Design

MAY-JUN 2017

Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.

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28 Medical Construction & Design | M AY/ J U N E 2017 | MCDM AG.COM BY ERICA STEENSTRA When considering patients' physical and emotional comfort, health organiza- tions can ease heightened emotions and make healthcare a less stressful event in a number of ways, especially when explor- ing the touchpoints throughout a patient's medical experience. There are a number of furniture and fabric solutions that have emerged to better support patients, their families and caregivers, further ensuring that health organizations are able to provide better experiences and enhance their reputation for delivering quality care. With so many choices available to healthcare consumers today, they will naturally choose products and services that give them the greatest value and experience. Every touchpoint in the consumer's journey can potentially add value and contribute to the overall posi- tive experience including many aspects of the physical environment, such as the furnishing's fi nishes and upholsteries, as well as its style and arrangement. Impact, opportunity with furniture The arrangement of furniture, the fi nish materials, upholstery patterns and colors can all aff ect, in a very positive way, a pa- tient's sense of ease, comfort and welcome in a healthcare setting. In recent years there has been a trend toward designing environments that take cues from the hos- pitality world or provide a more home- like experience. This trend has infl uenced new options for furniture and upholstery fabrics with particular focus on waiting spaces, consult rooms, exam rooms and patient rooms. Consider what has previously been the norm for healthcare waiting rooms: rigid furniture, lined-up bus terminal style. This bland pattern is not conducive to promoting a sense of ease or privacy as it does not allow patients and their family members the choice of sitting in a more HEALING TOUCH A look at trends in healthcare furniture, upholstery 2-4% Furniture typically accounts for roughly 2-4 percent of capital budgets. — healthdesign.org 1,600 Number of individual furniture pieces in a typical new 200,000-square-foot inpatient hospital — healthdesign.org INTERIORS ISSUE FOCUS

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