The business of health care architecture is changing, but the key to understanding evolving consumer standards and improving patient outcomes lies in the walls of the hospitals themselves.
Health systems no longer can rely on quality of care alone to deliver a successful patient experience. The future is happening now in Kansas City, where architects and health care organizations are coming together to incorporate principles of evidence-based design to prepare for fluctuations in patient population and evolving practices.
Patrick McCurdy, vice president of health care practice and a principal at Hoefer Welker, thinks the future of health care architecture lies in its ability to adapt. The only constant, he said, is change.
“Our methodology is the same in large hospitals or small clinics: setting them up with the best possible arrangement that will allow them to change and evolve over time with the integration of new technology,” McCurdy said. “As much as we think we’ve got the answer today for the perfect new facility, in less than two years, there’s going to be some new way of providing health care that’s going to be adopted. That’s just the nature of the business.”