Improving Public Health through Certificate Program: Insights from a designer and architect
Summary
This article delves into the importance of designing built environments like hospitals that improve public health and population health. The article explores the notion of creating a certification program for this purpose, similar to LEED certification for green building. The speaker emphasizes the importance of designing hospitals for patients, considering lighting, sound, and air quality management. Hospitals have a lot to learn from other environments, including airplane cabins, which prioritize patient experience. The speaker also discusses personal anecdotes about hospital design flaws, improvements made to their own bathroom, and challenges faced by handicapped individuals. The focus is on positivity and problem-solving to benefit others.
Table of Contents
- Importance of Designed Built Environments for Public Health
- Inadequacies of ADA Guidelines for Hospital Design
- Design Considerations for Hospitals
- Other Environments that Hospital Designers Can Learn From
- Personal Anecdotes From Hospital Design
- Design Challenges Faced by Handicapped Individuals
- Positive Changes That Can Improve Patient Experiences
Introduction
As architects and designers, we are responsible for designing spaces that support and improve human health. The built environment has a significant impact on public health and population health. Hospitals are one of the most critical places where this is most evident. Unfortunately, the way hospitals are designed does not always prioritize the needs of patients, which can lead to negative patient outcomes. In this article, we will explore the idea of creating a certification program for designing built environments to improve public health and population health.
Q&A
1. Why do hospitals require a certification program for design, similar to LEED certification for green building?
Designing hospitals for public health and population health requires a structured approach. Hospitals are very different from any other built environment, like an office building or a school. An office building can be designed for the comfort of the workers, but a hospital needs to support the comfort and healing of the patients. A certification program will provide direction to architects, designers, and builders of how to prioritize patient needs in a hospital environment.
2. What are the inadequacies of the ADA guidelines for hospital design?
The ADA guidelines focus on creating buildings that are accessible to handicapped individuals. The guidelines work for public buildings, but in regards to hospital design, the guidelines fall short. For example, ADA guidelines specify a four-inch curb in hotels and hospitals, making it difficult for patients in a shower chair to use the shower. Or design requirements for a transfer chair that is uncomfortable. Hospital design is not just about increasing accessibility but also about improving patient experience.
3. From a designer’s perspective, what are the key considerations for hospital design?
The primary consideration for hospital design is patient experience. Hospitals should be designed with the patient’s perspective, focusing on their experience from start to finish. The following are essential design considerations that designers must prioritize:
- Lighting hygiene that minimizes disruption to a patient’s circadian rhythm.
- Sound management to minimize noise disruption from medical equipment and provide a comfortable acoustic environment.
- Air quality management that supports patient recovery.
Conclusion
In conclusion, designing hospitals for public health and population health requires a structured approach to align with the needs of patients. Understanding the impact of the built environment on patients’ experience is crucial. By providing direction to architects, designers, and builders through a certification program, hospitals can be redesigned to prioritize patient experience. Piloting airplane cabin design principles in hospital design could provide invaluable insights. Finally, providing customized solutions that cater to individual handicapped patients, and invoking positive changes, can help improve patient experience.
