Building a healthcare facility takes time and money. But careful planning by the right team with the right tools can provide savings to both.
As medical technology grows more complex, so does the planning and building of a medical facility. That's why persons involved in medical facility and equipment planning can benefit from the building information modeling (BIM) program.
The emergence of new technology means hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities face the continuous challenge of upgrading to keep their facilities in top form to provide current state-of-the-art care. When considering new technology, medical personnel quickly grasp the benefits and how it can be used to improve patient outcomes.
However, the specifications, sourcing and installation of this equipment presents a number of unique challenges that may be outside the scope and experience of clinically focused healthcare personnel.
As indicated in a healthcare design article, when planning a new medical facility, it's important that equipment planning is considered at an early stage. This is necessary so that the planner can work together with the architect, interior designer and space planner to ensure that the right equipment is specified and adequate space is provided for the equipment, the medical staff who will operate the equipment and the patients who will be at the center of it all.
The PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center serves the local community of Ketchikan, AK as well as the many tourists and visitors to the remote island of Revillagigedo in Southern Alaska. To meet growing demand, the city agreed to fund a $62 million project to add a new wing and improve treatment facilities. This entailed adding 70,000 square feet of space and installing over 2,000 items of new medical equipment. Despite a four-week construction delay, healthcare facility logistics specialists at CME were able to condense their installation schedule and ensure the hospital opened on time in June 2016.
Over the past few years, medical facilities have moved towards making equipment purchasing decisions based on a value-based system. This means that the top criteria for purchasing new equipment are quality of care, best outcomes and improved patient satisfaction for the lowest total cost of ownership.
Along with these new criteria, space has also become a premium. Now, practically every medical facility is trying to improve patient flow within the small spaces they are working in.
Even though the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been around for more than 25 years, only a small number of medical facilities are in full ADA compliance.
Here are three reasons why you should keep ADA Compliance in mind when purchasing medical equipment:
A new or remodeled healthcare facility is a fantastic way to improve the patient experience. However, unexpected challenges often arise when expanding, remodeling or building a new facility. Many times, the unexpected challenges are related to buying new equipment to outfit the new space. Be aware of these common pain points so you can plan ahead.
Bringing technology to the point-of-care via wall mounts and carts has revolutionized the art of caregiving. However, a flawed application of technology workstations can negatively impact the perceived care provided.
Hospitals that took the time to fully understand the workflow within their healthcare setting, surveyed the environment, and implemented technology as a part of the caregiving conversation saw patient satisfaction scores rise by 12%.*
Healthcare organizations often incur fierce competition between different departments for the scarce dollars allocated towards capital equipment purchases. When called upon to justify the cost-effectiveness of specific product purchases to upper administration, the department manager/administrator must understand the difference between total cost of ownership versus purchase price.
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