3 Tips for Designing a Positive Patient Experience

No matter what journey they are walking through, patients in a medical facility almost always feel stressed and scared. While each one is experiencing something unique to them, and you cannot change their health situation, you do have the ability to make their experience a positive one. Here are some ways that facility design in healthcare and AV can contribute toward this. 

1. Give them options 

We have written before, many times, about Ulrich’s theory of supportive design and how he discovered that patients need to feel a sense of control in healthcare settings in order to heal and have a positive experience. One of the easiest ways to deliver this at any facility is to provide interactive TVs that empower the patient to make their own entertainment choices; select the content they want when they want it, turn the volume up or down, wear headphones or not, and so on. Each micro choice gives the patient a feeling of control, which all culminate to boost their mood and well-being. 

Outside of entertainment, you can also use your AV systems to allow patients to choose their meals (even those with restrictive menus should still be able to select from a few doctor-approved options), to dim or brighten their lights, open or close their blinds, etc. As you embark on healthcare facility planning and design, remember that the more decisions you can put in patients’ hands, the better their experience will be. 

2. Provide diversions 

It can be really scary to be in a healthcare facility for any length of time, not to mention that it can get pretty boring. While some patients may prefer peace and quiet, others will jump at the chance to have their minds taken off of their current situation. We mentioned entertainment above, and movies, music, and video games are great ways to offer diversions and elevate the patient experience. But, don’t stop there.

As you plan out your healthcare facility design, think of all the senses and how you can make each sensory component more enjoyable (or at least more tolerable) for those in your care. For example, is your AV system set up to offer sound soothing selections for sleep and rest? Can you incorporate the use of dynamic content, to keep the displays of your signage and TVs fresh and interesting? Take advantage of any opportunity through which you can divert a patient’s attention away from their pain or fear, and toward something more pleasant. 

3. Offer information  

While we just covered that patients should be distracted in positive ways as much as possible. This does not mean they should be kept in the dark about their circumstances. It is important to use the tools at your disposal, like AV solutions, to keep them informed to their liking. Offer user-friendly technology that allows them to dig into as many (or as few) details as they wish about their health condition, length of stay, expected recovery, and so forth. Also, give them easy ways to communicate with their caregivers so they can ask questions and receive timely answers.