Some Med Schools Now Screening for People Skills

Posted by on November 17, 2011 · Leave a Comment 

Everyone’s had an experience with a doctor who couldn’t communicate very well with them, right? Be it stubbornness, arrogance, or language barrier (personal story: I spent some time in a Spanish hospital a few years ago, and if you thought medical explanations were tricky before, trying hearing one in a different language! ), communication problems can lead to stress, improper care, and an unsatisfactory healthcare experience. Some medical schools... Read More

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Noise and Its Effect on Patients

Posted by on September 29, 2011 · Leave a Comment 

Ever walked through a quiet hospital? Didn’t think so. I don’t think many exist. Obviously, hospitals want to be busy and serve as many patients as possible, which can lead to elevated noise levels, but the noise caused by a full census can in turn diminish the healing and convalescing taking place. This has long been posited as fact but now there is definitive proof: both... Read More

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Healthcare Design: Crucial to Healing

Posted by on September 6, 2011 · Leave a Comment 

A key question in healthcare design is, what can we do as designers to help patients heal faster? In order for a hospital to serve as many patients as possible, and limit readmits, that hospital needs to be providing care that is as efficient as it is effective. Having a healthcare environment that reinforces those goals, of top-notch care combined with a soothing and comfortable environment, is a boon to the healing process. Here are some ways... Read More

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Social Media Usage

Ed Bennett (@EdBennett) runs a great blog that successfully brings the worlds of social media and healthcare together. He provides social media resources to healthcare professionals, and can be counted on to provide the latest statistics on what hospitals are doing what when it comes to social media. I found some of his recent postings particularly [...]

Remodeled Waiting Room 2

CBS, Nurture and Mike Ty...

On Sunday, July 24, CBS premiered a new show called Same Name. Running for six consecutive Sunday evenings, the show features celebrities who switch places with regular people who share their name. They learn what it’s like to live the life of someone else and see the world through their eyes. The August 7th episode featured [...]

Furniture Life Cycle Model -- graphic courtesy Malone, E. B., & Dellinger, B.A. (2011). Furniture Design Features and Healthcare Outcomes. Concord, CA: The Center for Health Design, p. 35.

Creating an Evidenced-ba...

We have learned from other industries like, nuclear and aviation, that highly-reliable environments depend on understanding how the environment and the objects in the environment shape human behavior. Furniture is one of those objects.

Creating an Evidenced-ba...

We realized that people in positions like Eileen’s (CEO or Commander in the military) are usually focused on the budget, when reviewing a furniture proposal because they don’t speak the same “language” as the designer. Depending on the designer’s background, various features may or may not be pointed out as salient features. We felt that having a tool with a common language that all could use made a lot of sense.