Consumerization & Technology: Trends from the Healthcare Design Expo & Conference
At this year’s Healthcare Design Expo & Conference, we had the pleasure of hearing from Dr. Nicholas J. Webb, Director for the Center of Health Innovation at Western University and best-selling author of What Customers Crave. Webb is also a “futurist” who helps organizations innovate for the future, and the subject of his keynote was the future of healthcare design and the disruptive changes coming to the industry. Titled Disruptions in Healthcare Design — The Good News, Webb led a conversation that explored four trends that will determine the success or failure of healthcare:
- Disruptive innovation
- Connection architecture
- Consumerization
- Shifting economic models
Moved by Webb’s compelling keynote, I’d like to discuss the trend of consumerization in healthcare design and the broader industry. Our keynote speaker stated that, in short, we should be thinking of patients as consumers. In the same way that consumers make choices about the goods or services they receive from any other institution, patients in many communities make a choice of where to receive healthcare services based on the experience of the provider and clinical team. Will the waiting room experience be comfortable? Is the space clean and open? Am I treated well and promptly? These questions are determining factors for patients, and can help us understand the consumer-driven decisions patients make when discerning where to go for care. This consumer-driven model will require the healthcare industry to provide better experiences, cleaner processes, and more service-driven care. The systems and providers that have adopted this model, and those that will adapt, are those that will win consumers’ patronage. Further, healthcare design will need to support this model with solutions that limit interruption, congestion, or confusion for patients receiving care.
This service-driven consumerization model relates to another of Webb’s trends: shifting economic models. As healthcare becomes more service-driven, patient surveys will continue to determine hospital reimbursement. In short, those providers that perform better in quality of care will receive more, continuing to change the economic model of hospital systems. This trend makes it all the more imperative for healthcare design to help maximize efficiency and quality of care for patients, caregivers, and family. Patient room sofas that support the various roles of caregivers are just the start for bettering the care experience.
While not part of Webb’s keynote, the subject of digital trends relates to consumerizaion, and was the topic of much conversation at the healthcare design conference. Increased consumerization can be correlated in part to increased mobility and digital interfacing in the healthcare environment. For example, today you might meet with a doctor in-person, but when questions arise after your appointment you can logon to the patient portal and quickly send your doctor an email. Some systems allow patients to request appointments online and have a phone or video chat rather than an in-person appointment. Like we mentioned above, this service-driven experience provides the patient with a more efficient process and better access. As digital trends continue to disrupt the healthcare industry, healthcare design should adapt with easy-to-use technologies in the patient room, as well as in wayfinding, digital signage, and more.
The future of healthcare is in many ways upon us already. How do you see the healthcare design adapting for the future? In what ways would you like to see it innovate? Share with us in the comments below.
