By Healthcare Facilities Today

Debra Levin, president and CEO of The Center for Health Design, has spent the last few months talking to industry experts, colleagues and others to try and understand what the industry might need five years from now. In a recent blog on the Healthcare Design magazine, Levin said that the knowledge gathered through this process will help create unique, new, and innovative business opportunities for the healthcare design profession.

"What’s next? That’s the million-dollar question for any organization. We’ve found a few key ideas that will shape our profession in the next decade and create new opportunities," she wrote.

They include:

New profit centers

Health spas, nutrition centers, and wellness centers will be among these solutions and offer the design community an opportunity to create a new aesthetic to reflect this new dynamic.

Geriatric-focused spaces

Geriatric-focused environments are being designed with the special needs of seniors in mind, taking into account issues around safety and diagnoses most identified with an older and often frailer population.

HCAHPS scores

Scores on noise and cleanliness are influenced by perceptions of the built environment, but less obvious connections to the environment can be made, as well. For example, one hospital we interviewed saw a direct correlation between providing a chair for the physician to sit down and talk with patients and families and a significant increase in the doctor’s compassion scores.

Read the blog.