Current emergency department (ED) design is being influenced by a focus on the patient experience and improving outcomes, according to an article on the Healthcare Facilities Symposium and Expo website.
Patients are expecting to be placed in a supportive environment that offers them much more control of their experience.
The challenge in ED design is to solve the crowding issue while reducing operating costs and improving outcomes.
In many EDs, open bays have long been replaced by enclosed rooms designed to diminish stress and provide protection from the stress of others, the article said.