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On patient-centered health care
In A Treatment Room With a View, the WSJ covers patient-centered efforts in health care. For example, a new cancer center in Milwaukee has...
floor-to-ceiling windows, a view of woods and a pond, and privacy curtains that Ms. Donoghue can close or leave open to chat with the staff. "I like the feeling of space and brightness and airiness," says the 70-year-old. "Everything is so patient-oriented." The heightened focus on patient-treatment areas represents the latest effort by medical institutions to redesign facilities with patients in mind...
Two pitfalls in patient-centered investments:
• Investing in the wrong place: some hospitals invest millions in a fancy new lobby, to project a better image, but leave the treatment areas unchanged. Superficial and misguided.
• Leaving others out: upgrading one treatment area leaves less money to invest in other areas, like basic needs of other patients or hospital departments.
Health care is a complex topic and there are no easy answers. In general, though, patient-centered initiatives are good and long overdue. Which is why at Gel 2008, this past April, we covered the topic with Dr. Bridget Duffy, Chief Experience Officer of the Cleveland Clinic.
I think you missed the most important "pitfall" relative to environmental investments. Namely, that if there is zero change in the organizational approach to patient care and experience the new building is but a fancy vessel for the same experience. In other words, it is the old play in a new theater.