MCDM AG.COM | NOV EMBER / DECEMBER 2017 | Medical Construction & Design
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MC DM A G . COM | N OV EMBER / DECEMBER 2017 | Medical Construction & Design
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HUMANIZING
VIRTUAL HEALTHCARE
Top emerging trends in designing
large-scale telemedicine facilities
Telemedicine can take the form of live video interface between patients and practitioners, remote monitoring or the storing and forwarding of patient data.
BY TAMA DUFFY DAY
Thanks to its cost-savings potential, negation of distance and
time, delivery of easier access to healthcare specialists and
technical wizardry, telemedicine is being hailed by many as a
revolutionary force. At the very least, telemedicine interactions
— which can take the form of live video interface between
patients and practitioners, remote monitoring or the storing
and forwarding of patient data — are set to explode in volume:
by 2024 the number of virtual doctors' offi ce visits will surpass
the number of physical visits.
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Already, the growth of this new form of interaction has
given rise to a new typology: the large-scale telemedicine facil-
ity. As a juror for the AIA/AAH Healthcare Design Awards,
I've had the opportunity to look closely at one of the fi rst of
this new breed — the 125,000-square-foot Mercy Virtual Care
Center, which we've selected as the fi rst telemedicine facil-
ity to be honored with an AIA healthcare award. Located in
Chesterfi eld, Missouri, Mercy Virtual off ers a diverse array
of telemedicine services, from home monitoring to electronic
intensive care to basic virtual hospital care. But at its core, the
facility is something of a mash up of workplace and call center.
Yet it's a mash up that addresses the needs of its inhabitants.
As noted in jury comments, "This project recognizes the hu-
manity of the healthcare worker."
Future large-scale telemedicine facilities will need to do the
same: In addition to enabling easy communication between
doctors, nurses and patients, telemedicine facilities will also
need to be comfortable, healthy and productive workplaces
for all staff , particularly those spending signifi cant time on the
phone with patients. >>>
Photo: Ryan Gobuty