Electronic telecommunications technology is expanding exponentially, increasing opportunities for mobile healthcare delivery. Fitbits, smart watches and health apps deliver healthcare data to our touchscreen fingertips on the go. We can track our steps, check our heart rate, access lab results and consult with a physician without actually walking into a clinic.
Topics: Healthcare
By Krista Biason, PE, and Jeff Harris, PE
An operating room at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital in Kentucky.
I'm too hot, it's too humid. I keep hitting my head on the med gas drops. Why is that outlet box hanging from the ceiling? There are not enough receptacles, they are in the wrong place. There are not enough outlets in the boom. Why are the med gas outlets over there, how come the anesthesia boom is at the patient's feet, where is my integration system, and why isn't there a camera in the surgical lights?
Topics: Healthcare, Engineering
Keystone Experience illustration of Owensboro Health Regional Hospital entry.
Healthcare facility planning often focuses on programming, operations and patient safety as planners benchmark metrics to improve workflows and clinical outcomes. Yet a growing emphasis on wellness and the patient experience is adding new dimensions to the planning process as research links design to emotional well-being and clinical outcomes. By planning around Keystone Experiences, healthcare facility owners can gain deeper insight into patients' emotional needs to design holistic interiors that support workflow efficiency, clinical outcomes, and human well-being.
Topics: Healthcare
What came first — the chicken or the egg? This age-old question has been perplexing society for generations. The electrical equivalent of this timeless dilemma is “What came first — the distribution equipment or the coordination study?” In the last few months, I have had many “discussions” with construction team members regarding this topic — most of them not too pleasant.
Topics: Healthcare, Engineering
Research specialist Kara Freihoefer, PhD, and process engineer Brent Peterson, PE, recently presented "Lean on Research: The Merge of Two Methodologies" at the 2015 Healthcare Design Conference, where they highlighted Lean strategies combined with Evidence-Based Design (EBD) research. Below, Freihoefer summarizes key takeaways.
Topics: Healthcare
If there is one thing I have learned while dealing with codes, it is that words do matter. A simple word like "shall" means something very different than the phrase "shall be permitted," a distinction that if missed often leads to confusion regarding implementation of a code.
Topics: Healthcare, Engineering
