Professionals in the medical field have some of the most stressful jobs on the planet. Their workspace design shouldn’t contribute to it, though. Unfortunately, many medical facilities aren’t designed to optimize employee performance and visitor experience. Indeed, satisfying both of these criteria presents a unique challenge to interior designers and it’s difficult to strike the right balance between them. However, note here that you can achieve a harmonious medical clinic design that improves both employee productivity and patient satisfaction. And you can start by checking out these four effective, real-life solutions:
Arrange Layout to Reduce Foot Traffic
Unintuitive design leads to unhappy employees and confused patients. Though it may not seem like a major hindrance at first, forcing employees to move from one end of a facility to the other to reach connected departments is simply a bad design choice. Ideally, medical professionals should be able to move seamlessly between related work stations. Not only is this better for their productivity, but it also prevents patients and visitors from having to navigate too much unfamiliar territory. Of course, coordinating sections by color and maintaining a consistent design tone can help prevent undue traffic as well.
Accentuate the Positive
In many instances, patients may not want to visit a medical clinic at all. Consider for a moment that many people regularly skip doctor’s appointments, and you’ll quickly see why presenting a welcoming front is essential to drawing in new patients. The good news is, there are many ways to improve the atmosphere in your clinic. On the conservative side, adding plants to most rooms and keeping windows open in common areas will boost the natural appeal of your site. In addition, adding comfortable furniture to your waiting room can help nervous patients relax. And of course, any sort of entertainment in the form of new technology you can install in waiting areas will go a long way toward winning visitors over. This can include, but isn’t limited to: free WiFi, TVs, automated text messages with waiting times, video game systems for children, free access to tablets, and headphones.
Uniformity
Believe it or not, there’s a lot of benefit to building exam rooms in a uniform fashion. The greatest asset, naturally, is that doctors, chiropractors, nurses, and other professionals know where everything is located in a room –– even if they’ve never been in it before. Plus, you can cut down on costs by limiting customization in this regard.
Expansion
Simple enough, right? Though there are a myriad of ways to optimize a small office space, it’s important for medical professionals to realize when they lack sheer amount of room to properly service their patients. In some instances, rearranging space or refurbishing areas can provide a temporary solution to space issues. Still, if you’ve encountered consistent issues regarding your office size, it may be time to consider a redesign.
Final Thoughts
Medical clinics need to function as a professional space while also offering amenities for patients and visitors. That’s why it’s crucial for medical professionals to partner with an experienced design team to help them find a solution for their situation. At Key Interiors, we’ve been working in medical office design for years and understand how to create the perfect workspace for employees and patients alike. Contact us here! Plus, to get more information on how we’ll manage to keep your project on schedule –– and under budget –– check out our free eBook.
