One of the biggest misconceptions about healthcare offices is that all environments are interchangeable. A doctor’s office is a doctor’s office is a doctor’s office – so long as they have access to the same resources and talent, the results should more or less be consistent across the board.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. If you convert an old, generic office building into a healthcare facility, you’ll not achieve the same results as if you constructed an entirely new building from the ground up. More specifically, prioritizing wellness in healthcare office design is crucial to supporting patient comfort and staff well-being.
1. Thoughtful Design Choices
One of the best ways to prioritize wellness in healthcare office design involves incorporating as much natural light as possible. Whether you’re talking about an office relocation or constructing something new from the ground up, find something with many large windows and skylights whenever possible.
Natural light is known for creating an inviting atmosphere—something you absolutely want in a healthcare facility. For example, if there is a lot of natural light in your waiting room, people aren’t necessarily put off when they walk through the door as they may otherwise have been. The same is true of treatment rooms. Natural light can help reduce anxiety, empower emotional comfort in patients, and more.
You’ll want to take the same level of care and consideration when it comes to the noise an environment creates, too. Work in acoustic panels, carpets that absorb noise, etc. All this will go a long way towards reducing the type of noise you don’t want to permeate throughout the building, creating a calm and peaceful environment wherever possible.
Consider having dedicated private areas where patients and staff members can go to take a break from everything else.
You can also consider ergonomic workstations for the benefit of all involved. This helps reduce the physical strain on staff members from prolonged procedures and can even improve the situation for patients who may have been sitting for a long time.
2. Integrating Flexible Spaces
In terms of prioritizing wellness in healthcare office design in a way that benefits the staff members, you’ll want to incorporate as many break rooms, lounges, and other flexible areas as possible, given the limitations of the environment that you’re working in.
Everyone needs a place to unwind, enjoy a nice meal, or interact with their coworkers in a stress-free way. Staff members at a healthcare facility are no different, which is why you should have spaces with comfortable seating (and, again, natural light) to help them take relaxing staff breaks whenever they need to.
The same concept applies to patient-friendly waiting areas. Once, the extent of this was simply making sure that there were enough current magazines in the waiting room for patients to browse. Now, you can consider factors like comfortable seating in configurations that make people feel welcome instead of being apart from everyone else.
It’s also easier than ever to include entertainment options and other ways for people to distract themselves before their big appointment. It isn’t as simple as putting out a few magazines and turning on a television, but it isn’t that much more difficult, either. You can provide interactive digital displays like tablets or even handheld gaming consoles that can give people something to focus on other than what stresses them out.
You can also include larger design elements, such as water features and natural colors, to make the space feel as friendly as possible.
3. Emphasizing Sustainable Materials
Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of emphasizing sustainable materials when prioritizing wellness in healthcare office design. This move can help ensure that the environment is for everyone.
For example, you’ll want to choose materials like paints and others that are free from harmful chemicals to guarantee better indoor air quality. You should take the same approach when it comes to picking out finishes, flooring materials, and more.
If possible, you should also make decisions that facilitate easy maintenance. Consider all the things you need to do to secure a healthcare environment that is “above and beyond” what you would find in a regular building. For example, you should use antimicrobial surfaces, and any fabrics should be easily washable. The list goes on and on.
If all this sounds like a bit of additional work, that’s because it is. But when you consider that it all contributes to a healthier, longer-lasting environment that benefits everyone who engages with it, it’s clear that the effort is worthwhile.
In the end, these are just a few of the many ways to prioritize wellness in healthcare office design better. The ultimate goal is to create spaces that enhance the quality of care you can provide and increase worker productivity.
Some people legitimately dread going to the doctor for a wide range of reasons. Some of them are afraid they’re about to get bad news. Others are concerned about the amount of money it will cost. Some people have had a bad experience in the past, and they’re not too eager to repeat it.
Regardless of the reason, those people are less likely to take a proactive role in managing their own health. They’re more likely to wait until something serious happens to start the process, at which point it might be too late.
This is a big part of why prioritizing wellness in healthcare office design is pivotal to everyone’s success. The more satisfying and engaging the environment, the more people want to be there. This helps to enhance the quality of care and what your staff can do. It also improves the overall satisfaction of everyone involved, which is the most important benefit of all.