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The HEPACART Blog

9 Takeaways from the HFM Healthcare Construction Survey

In February, Health Facilities Management magazine published the results of their 2017 Healthcare Construction survey. This year, HFM was able to survey more than 240 hospitals to get answers about how healthcare facility construction, renovation, and optimization is expected to continue through the next year or more.
Like last year, we have gone through the published results and found nine takeaways that should help you better understand healthcare facility construction and be prepared for the future.

1. Everyone Gets a Say


Healthcare facility design and construction is a much more collaborative process than it once was. In fact, 95% of facilities report that both clinical and nonclinical staff are included in the design process before a single hole is drilled. As we have discussed before on this blog, many construction projects also solicit feedback from patients, families, and the community at large. These diverse groups of stakeholders mean that contractors need to be prepared to take input from groups with very different concern.

2. Design is Going Beyond Blueprints


Getting feedback on a two-dimensional plan is one thing, but more facilities are turning to more sophisticated design processes to get high-quality commentary. Mock-up testing has been implemented by 6% of responding facilities while simulation software is in use by 17% of hospitals. Further, 55% of facilities have some live mock-up as part of the design process before construction begins. This type of real world feedback can be extremely valuable to both designers and contractors so that they can effectively prioritize their projects and not waste time and effort on features that don’t move the need for users.

3. The Only Constant is Change


Healthcare facility best practices are often a moving target. Because two days are never the same at any healthcare facilities, more hospitals are aiming for flexibility by way of modular materials. For instance, 38% of facilities have invested in adaptable patient rooms while 27% have opted for modular furniture. Facility barriers are another flexible option for facilities that are either undergoing renovations or simply need to change the layout of an area for an unspecified amount of time while maintaining proper isolation. Embracing modular options means more flexibility for initial construction as well.

4. Healthcare Facilities are Going Beyond Hospital Walls


Not all healthcare facility construction trends take place inside the structure of a hospital. 20% of facilities report using zoning, which uses design elements to keep different functions separate from one another and optimize the space for one particular task. Some facilities are even taking their zones outside of the hospital, with at least one facility setting up a zone at a local fire house to treat patients before they ever make it to an emergency room.

5. Efficiency is Top of Mind...


While readers of this blog know that patient experience has long been a key indicator for healthcare design choices, for many facilities, this piece of the puzzle is falling underneath the umbrella of efficiency. According to the HFM survey, 35% of facilities name patient delays in care as a top concern, along with patient throughput (at 37%) and staff communication (also at 37%). When design choices are made with these three related factors in mind, efficiency can improve.

 

6. ...But Facilities are Seeing Results

The survey shows that when facilities do make design choices based on improving efficiency -- whether that’s making sure that staff doesn't have to walk back and forth down long corridors or improving communications technology -- they see results. Facilities report “better patient flow, increased capacity, better emergency department throughput and reduced square footage.”

 

7. Building Information Modeling is Still Underutilized

Despite an increased insistence on efficiency, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is only in use in about a quarter of responding facilities. These numbers mean that there is a huge opportunity for healthcare facilities to harness data about their buildings to make informed design choices. Look to see BIM as a key skill for healthcare facilities managers in the next few years.

 

8. Facilities Recognize the Importance of Functioning Ventilation Systems

Of all the upgrades that healthcare facilities will undertake in the next few years, ventilation systems ranked at the top for upgrades and replacements. Clearly, healthcare facilities realize that clean air and the resulting infection control benefits will be critical in maintaining a level of care they desire.

 

9. Budgets are Still in Flux

While the overall change in capital devoted to different healthcare construction projects (new construction, renovation, and infrastructure) is relatively unchanged since last year, there is speculation that big construction projects will be put on hold until the legal and political landscape is a bit more clear. As it stands at the time of the survey, infrastructure investment is expected to increase by 1% while new construction investment is down 2% and renovations have stayed steady.

The HFM construction survey is always a source of useful data for anyone in the healthcare construction business. We invite you to investigate the whole survey over at HFMmagazine.com

For even more insight into the future of healthcare facilities, download our presentation below.

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