The Future of Health Care – and Design

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The Covid-19 pandemic has gotten us all thinking about the ways in which our world is going to change. That’s just as true for design and construction of the spaces in which we live and care for others. At Verday Health, we see this moment as one that’s likely to accelerate positive advancements in health care – and that, of course, is a good thing.

From the beginning, our prototypes were developed with the assumption that telemedicine would become a common way to connect for routine health issues, particularly in rural markets. That’s part of the reason why our prototypes were designed with fewer exam rooms – both to maximize efficiency and integrate telemedicine into the providers’ environments. There will still be times when patients will need or want to see their health care provider in-person, but we anticipate those occasions to be less frequent than in the past as convenience becomes more important and technology more universally accepted. We considered how our exam rooms and behavioral health spaces could be designed to naturally integrate both in-person and virtual check-ups, eliminating the need for additional spaces or a strict division between how health consults are delivered.

We also felt it was important to be certified in Evidence-Based Design (EBD), the process of basing decisions about the built environment on credible research to achieve the best possible outcomes. Safety and infection control are central to an EBD approach to design and building, as is environmental sustainability, communication, and aesthetic considerations that have been proven to enhance overall health outcomes and patient experience. Our prototypes are designed as patient-centered medical homes that are safe, efficient, and rewarding to navigate and occupy.

In addition, our human-centered approach preferences the experience and input of not just executives and administrators, but also health care providers, support workers, patients and their families. We believe that communication and agency is vitally important to the health care process, and that the perspectives of all stakeholders should be considered in design solutions. Our pre-design process includes interviews with representatives of all stakeholder groups, ensuring we don’t miss things important to the health care journey for those who will ultimately occupy or receive care in our clinic environments.

Rural and safety net hospitals, which struggle during normal times, are especially under threat of  closing across our nation under the burden of the global pandemic coupled with the economic downturn. This means many communities may lose access to vital services. Supplemental legislation is needed to help save these safety-net facilities, but we also need new solutions for the future that thoughtfully integrate clinical needs with technology to create environments that meet stakeholders’ needs. That’s what we’re dedicated to creating at Verday Health.

Reach out to us if you have thoughts, ideas or questions.