In today’s healthcare climate, hospitals are required to do more with less. The number of patients is increasing, reimbursements are shrinking, and patient-centered care is surging to the forefront of how providers treat. This has placed a great strain on hospitals and their patient room designers to create better, smarter rooms with less space.

The Problems They Face

Designing the modern hospital room is now a greater challenge than ever before. Rooms must be optimized not only for patient space, but they must also accommodate families along with nurse and physician needs, all while promoting patient safety and wellness.

While there are a greater number of patient needs, along with a greater number of patients, rooms are not getting any larger.

FGI Guidelines recommend patient rooms be a minimum of 250 sqaure feet with an additional 30 square feet per family member or visitor, and since private rooms have quickly become an industry standard, designers and architects are faced with the task of fitting more rooms into a facility. At the same time, they must optimize every sqaure foot of each room to add value either to the patient experience or make it easier for providers to do their jobs more efficiently. To accomplish this, designers are employing a number of strategies to optimize space and make rooms more comfortable.

Creating Dedicated Zones in Patient Rooms

New design standards call for three zones in a patient’s room:

1. Patient Space
2. Provider Space
3. Family Space

Since patient comfort is vital, the room is centered around the patient’s needs. The patients will have clear visibility of every space in the room — the television and whiteboards on the walls, the window and hallway, etc. — and will have access to most of what they need without having to leave their bed.

The provider’s space is located close to the entrance of the room and can be curtained off to keep unsightly instruments concealed. Within this space, they have ample storage, a handwashing station and any other resources they need for treatment.

The family section is located at the back of the room, generally near the window. This provides them their own space that is close to the patient but also out of the way of nurses, physicians and other hospital employees who will be frequently coming and going. The space includes storage for their belongings and a either a sleeper chair or sofa.

Reduce Clutter

Studies show that clutter increases anxiety, so designers are making every effort to keep room designs simple and comforting while providing care teams the resources they need to store treatment equipment. The key to removing clutter is storage space that is not visible by the patient. Having a separate zone in the room for providers will help, as will eliminating open shelves and cabinets. Everything is stored in cabinets that are tucked away and made to look visually pleasing.

Use Wall Space

Walls are good for more than just hanging art. They allow designers to maximize the space in a confined room by taking things off the floor. Everything from storage spaces to patient whiteboards, televisions and treatment equipment are being mounted on walls whenever possible. Keeping as much off the floor as possible not only opens up rooms for more technology, it also makes them more visually appealing to patients and their families.

VividBoard works with designers to help create whiteboard solutions that fit into any hospital room. Contact us today to see how our products can work with your room design.