Healthcare is experiencing a groundswell of emerging technologies which hold promise for patients and providers by improving ways care is administered and accessed. From e-visits and at-home hospitalization, to enhanced infrastructure of medical devices and software applications that can communicate with healthcare IT systems, and the integration of artificial intelligence, technology is improving both the patient and physician experience. At Bisnow’s National Healthcare Northeast Conference, Tsoi Kobus Design’s Richard Kobus sat down with a panel of experts to discuss how their organizations are optimizing new technology to improve data-driven care. Panelists included Dr. Joseph Kvedar, Partners HealthCare, Vice President of Connected Health; Dr. Jocelyn Carter, Massachusetts General Hospital, Principal Investigator and Aetna Foundation Innovation Fellow; Dr. Carla Small, Boston Children’s Hospital, Executive Director of Innovation and Operational Effectiveness; Dr. Christopher Andreoli, Atrius Health, Chief Transformation Officer; and Justin Marron, Strategic Venue Partners, CEO. This engaging conversation confirmed Tsoi Kobus Design’s thinking about the ways in which technology is strategically impacting the design of healthcare spaces. Our key takeaways include:
Telemedicine and Digital Treatment Spaces: Telemedicine has the potential to transform the future of medical care by providing synchronous interactions between patients and providers. The panelists reported the demand for e-visits is rising, and through telemedicine, healthcare institutions can keep non-critical patients out of the hospital and reduce unnecessary office and emergency room visits. The panelists suggested that the exam room is outdated; the integration of technology to create a virtual treatment space changes the way clinical spaces look and function.
At Boston Medical Center and Cape Cod Hospital, Tsoi Kobus Design reimagined the exam room in the context of clinician, patient, and family interaction models—built on communication, collaboration and shared data, in a patient-centric environment. The rooms are designed to be interchangeable to support virtual and actual patient-clinician interaction. In both cases, the clinician can easily share digital information, communicate with the patient at eye-level, and provide space for family support and the exchange of information.
Designing Team-Based Care Environments: The patient population has exceeded the number of providers available, making team-based care and algorithmic medical technology essential in the diagnoses and treatment of patients. The panelists discussed team-based care as the norm, because it provides an integrated approach to the delivery of patient care. There is a strong focus on collaborative environments with integrated technology, simulation spaces that encourage critical thinking, and team-based problem-solving skills in both the hospital setting and at medical schools. We have seen that the delivery of care is not about the transmission of information, but about the collaborative work of physicians supported by access to technology.
Tsoi Kobus Design’s planning and programming promotes the team-based care mode. We design team-based spaces where physicians, resident physicians, nurses, and care team meet to discuss a cases in a collaborative manner, replacing the clinical conversations in crowded fortress-like nurse stations. Floor plates are programmed around the care team with physicians, resident physicians, nurses, and additional hospital support staff who work together in team rooms instead of separate offices. Team rooms and technology-enabled conference spaces are distributed throughout clinical floors, providing patient teams space to meet and plan care. This program reduces travel distances and fosters an interdisciplinary environment for knowledge sharing and communication.
Future Healthcare Providers: The panelists noted that technology significantly impacts the practice of medicine and can potentially offer relief for physician burnout, thereby improving patient care. “Clinician misery” due to the burden of paperwork and the complexity of electronic health records is thought to effect on average four out of five physicians. The panelists suggested future technology will rely heavily on medical algorithms to improve data searches and improve compliance with evidence-based guidelines. However, the panelists cautioned: as the stream of information exponentially rises, algorithmic medical care and the role of the physician in data-gathering will grow. There is wide- recognition that as the trend of technology-enabled care models is at odds with the principles of patient-centered care, the role of the primary care physician as the gatekeeper of electronic records must be evaluated.
Tsoi Kobus Design designs technology-enabled healthcare spaces that embrace and employ new technologies, provide flexibility and adaptability for the future of technology, and are cognizant of the impact of technologic demands on infrastructure and spatial requirements.
