Associate Principal | Healthcare Practice Leader
Healthcare systems looking to expand or build new facilities face a complex array of challenges, including gaining and maintaining competitive advantage. Timeliness and ease of access remain critical components in patient-centered design strategies. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the aver-age doctor’s visit lasts 19.2 minutes, but the average wait time is more than 23 minutes, as reported in a separate study by Press Ganey.
When a patient waits longer than the actual doctor visit takes, a decline in satisfaction is inevitable. According to Vitals’ ninth-annual “Wait Time Report,” one in five patients have switched doctors because of long wait times, and 30 percent have left a medical appointment due to a long wait.
In today’s healthcare landscape, patients as consumers have more options than ever when selecting a physician or care provider. Savvy health-care systems are looking to architects to assist in positioning for competitive advantage. Successful integration of technology and mobile devices with innovative clinical design increase staff efficiency and optimize space utilization, increasing patient satisfaction and cultivating brand loyalty to position healthcare systems as providers of choice.