Upgrading healthcare facilities has many benefits for patients and staff alike, but the process to the end result always involves some kind of construction. A large amount of healthcare facilities in the midst of upgrades stay open, as construction is usually confined to one area of the building. However, accommodations for patients must be made during any kind of construction in order to ensure their safety and health are prioritized. Mixed-use development company, Simone Health, discusses how to keep patients safe during healthcare construction.

• Determine the impact and risks associated with the construction: It’s important to analyze the scope of your construction project so your development company can make the right adjustments to the space for patients and staff to feel comfortable, even while construction occurs. Assess the impact of the obstruction on your healthcare space and plan effective ways to have patients bypass the construction area as much as possible. Determine the risks that could be brought in by the type of construction going on, whether it’s physical improvements, technological upgrades, or aesthetic adjustments. Barriers must be made to avoid construction dust and noise from spilling out too much into a patient heavy area.
• Create a way to keep the air clean to prevent patient infection: Take precautions to make sure the air in your patient areas is completely filtered of any construction dust or debris because their health is your number one priority, even while construction is going on. Improved air filters, sturdy barriers separating patients and visitors from construction areas, and protocol inside the facility regarding construction waste disposal and noise pollution are all factors to consider in the health and safety of your patients and staff.
• Have a communication plan: If you are planning a construction project in the future, it is essential to alert all patients and visitors about the planned improvements and the construction areas. Assure patients and visitors that your healthcare facility will be open during this time, but their health and safety remain your number one priority. Plan out how you will communicate changes to your patients and staff members, whether it’s through email, posted notices far in advance, or digital signage.
• Use easily decontaminated surfaces: Maintaining a clean, healthy environment for everyone in the facility is a very important piece that goes into keeping patients safe. Ensuring to utilize easily decontaminated surfaces inside of your healthcare space will make the lives easier for those cleaning up after the construction, as inevitably, some fine dust or debris may make its way out. Ensure every surface is swiftly and thoroughly decontaminated every few hours to maintain the cleanliness of the facility for patients.

“Upgrading your healthcare facility is an exciting time and looking forward to the end result will make all of the hassle in between worthwhile for both patients and staff. So long as your facility takes the proper precautions during construction, protecting the well-being of your patients first and foremost, patients will be understanding as the construction passes by,” said Joe Simone, President of Simone Development Companies.

Engaging patients in their own healthcare has shown to be immensely beneficial to their overall healthcare experience. Having patients play an active role in their medical needs gives them more urgency in their care, promoting feelings of empowerment when it comes to making healthy decisions, and reaching out to healthcare practitioners with questions and concerns. Patient engagement is a valuable tool for any medical practice but increasing your facility’s patient engagement rate can be a small challenge for some firms to overcome. Medical building construction company, Simone Health, shares tips for increasing patient engagement rates in healthcare facilities.

• Have Information Resources that Patients Can Access: Be sure to provide essential healthcare information to patients regarding some healthcare topics of interests, such as new medication or therapies on the market. These informational resources can promote not only what’s going on in the healthcare world, but also what kinds of new options are going to become available to your facility’s patients in the future. These informational resources should be highly accurate and easily accessible in order for them to grab patient’s attention and keep them engaged.
• Be Active on Social Media: Social media is a promotional powerhouse, providing an avenue of direct interaction between patients and their healthcare providers. Launching a social media initiative to connect patients with others who have same conditions can help empower those feeling isolated and encourage their interactions with arenas offering medical help. Encouraging those with chronic pain and conditions to share their stories and experiences can give patients an outlet to express their difficulties and offer some understanding to those who may not know about the condition or have just begun struggling with chronic pain.
• Use Online Portals: Online portals can be a valuable tool for patients and healthcare providers alike, as they can contain essential medical information accessible through a simple portal login. These online portals can contain as much or as little data as patients want, but the more data provided to healthcare facilities, the better quality care they can give to patients. Providers have the ability to track patient progress, while patients have a highly accessible online outlet to keep track of their medical history, lab test results, and treatment progress.
• Use Reminders for Appointments: Many patients have a lot going on in their lives on a day-to-day basis and remembering various doctors’ appointments in between their regular activities can sometimes be a struggle. Utilizing an appointment reminder system with patients can help them remember their arrangements, lowering the risk of no-shows, and make them more likely to schedule a follow-up appointment. Presenting reminders to patients through various channels, such as email or text options, makes the medical process feel less daunting and more casual for patients and healthcare professionals alike.

“Encouraging patient engagement can be done in various different ways, but these tips above are a great start. Do some research about the patients your medical facility services in order to tailor your engagement efforts towards the right demographics,” said Joe Simone, President of Simone Development Companies.

Resilient design strategy is based off of mitigating disasters and designing for functionality during hazards. However, resilient design isn’t just about hazards and disasters, but how the design holds up and functions in the long-term. With a shifting focus from caring for the ill to providing wider community wellness benefits, the patient experience has become a foundational factor in healthcare facility design, and resilient design strategies supply the perfect base for providing exceptional patient experiences. Hospital construction company, Simone Health, discusses the benefits of resilient design for medical facilities. Check out some of them below.

• Improved productivity: Part of resilient design focuses on incorporating natural light and green spaces, such as built in gardens, paths lined with trees, and large windows. Natural lighting and outdoor spaces have been proven time and time again to boost people’s moods, morale, and energy. All of these can impact the way your healthcare staff is functioning on a day-to-day basis. If they’re more energized and have natural spaces to recoup and regenerate themselves, you’ll see their productivity go up, improving your overall patient experience.
• Speeds up patient recovery: Many hospital patients have no choice but to spend their days indoors, confined to a room. Fitting a hospital with green spaces gives patients in recovery exposure to sunlight, fresh air, and greenery. Exposure to nature decreases patient recovery time, with those who have a view of natural settings or exposure to them citing a lower need for pain medication and faster recovery times.
• Lower spending on operations: Resilient design strategy highlights economic factors as well, seeking to lower operating costs through sustainable features. Designing a hospital equipped with energy-saving construction, such as day lighting and green roofs, can lower your hospital’s utility consumption, followed by lower utility expenses. This lowered spending on operations gives your hospital more money to delegate to enhancing the patient experience.
• Increase staff retention rate: When a hospital is equipped with spaces for staff to take a breather from the stressful healthcare environment, they’re more likely to feel satisfied with their job and stick around. Increasing your staff retention rate comes with a host of other benefits, such as lower training costs and an improved patient experience from knowledgeable staff members. Giving staff time to relax and reenergize themselves is valuable not only for them, but for the entire healthcare system.

“Using resilient design strategy in medical facilities can do so much for your staff and patients alike. Take advantage of the benefits resilient design can bring when developing or upgrading your next medical facility,” said Joe Simone, President of Simone Development Companies.