Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/862068
RESE ARCHERS WITH STEELCA SE HE ALTH, PART OF MICHIGANšBA 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 su¡ 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 staŠ 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." ■ CORE CALL FOR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE 24 HOUR SERVICE EXPERT HOTLINE 1-800-388-1266 SECUREDATA.COM DATA LOSS? HARD DRIVE CRASH? CORRUPTED FILES? YOU SAVE LIVES. RATED #1 HARD DRIVE RECOVERY COMPANY OF 2017 BY TOPTENREVIEWS SPECIALIZING IN SERVING THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS INDUSTRY CLASS 10 ISO 4 CLEANROOM LAB LOCATED IN CLEVELAND, OHIO WE SAVE DATA. 2 7 M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S C L E V E L A N D /A K R O N / C A N T O N ■ J U LY/A U G U S T 2 017