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RESE ARCHERS WITH STEELCA SE HE ALTH, PART OF MICHIGAN-BA SED OFFICE FURNITURE AND INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE FIRM STEELCA SE INC., SPENT FIVE DAYS OBSERVING PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN A WAITING ROOM. FURNISH YOUR WAY to a Better Patient Experience BY STEVE BARRETT AMONG THEIR GOALS: learning more about seating pat ter ns by which fa m i lies g roup t hemselves, gaining insight into families' expectations in order to consider cha nges in f urnishings a nd delv ing into the ef fect of env ironmenta l factors on the patient experience. Certain mistakes in design kept surfacing, including: + The inability of families to separate themselves suffi ciently from strangers + The lack of appropriate group spaces in which families could gather + The lack of chair confi gurations geared toward just one or two individuals + Too few chairs with direct lines of sight to staff or monitors that provide information + The lack of space for electronic devices a nd other belongings Empha sizing that f ina l point, 20 percent of occupied chairs were used for holding persona l items, not seating people, researchers say. Thoughtful approaches to seating and storage space can reduce the investment in furniture and enhance patient value, they add. " This isn't about packing the most people in the waiting room," Michelle Ossmann, RN, MSN, PhD, Director of Health Environments for Steelcase Health, states in a paper summarizing the findings. "It's about responding to their behaviors in a more intuitive way — a way that helps relieve some of the stress of being at a medical facility." n CORE Rehabilitation the PoweR of The Promise of Hope Our interdisciplinary teams of nurses, therapists, assistive technologists and others provide extraordinary care, harnessing the Power of rehab technology and treatments … so patients with stroke, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, and those with neurological, cardiopulmonary and orthopedic disorders can rebuild their lives. Along with our magnificent Hudson River views ... all compelling reasons to choose Helen Hayes Hospital for rehabilitation care. Owned and operated by the New York State Department of Health − Member NewYork-Presbyterian Regional Hospital Network. Route 9W, West Haverstraw, NY 10993 helenhayeshospital.org 1-888-70-REHAB Founded in 1900 as one of the country's very first physical rehabilitation facilities, we have a singular focus: restoring mobility while offering patients and families HoPe. 0 5 M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S M I D H U D S O N ■ 2 017 P R A C T I C E M A N A G E M E N T ❰❰❰❰❰ 0 5