Value has always been a product attribute which has had widespread misconceptions. For the most part, consumers believe that the cheaper a product is, the more value it provides. But this is far from the truth. A product has good value only when it has a high price to quality ratio. This is because the products that are of better quality generally last longer saving us more money in the long run. The same principle can also be applied to the medical industry. There are several cost saving techniques a healthcare facility can provide while not compromising on service quality. Let us take a deeper look at this to understand what needs to be done to help hospitals achieve the same.
Providing quality healthcare while not breaking the bank in the long run is one of the cornerstones of the “Fable hospital”. These are facilities that are supposed to be ideal in terms of medical services and design as analyzed by leaders in healthcare worldwide. Therefore, in order to improve quality and value, elements of these “Fable hospitals” are being adopted in newly constructed healthcare facilities all over the world.
A set of articles from the Hastings center report analyses a collection of design features by examining hospitals that have implemented such changes. Their findings are as follows.
- According to an article called “Fable Hospital 2.0: The Business Case for Building Better Healthcare Facilities” specific design changes to a hospital can potentially yield huge benefits. From reducing healthcare related infections and occupation injuries to reducing energy use, the improvements through these changes can prove to be a game changer. Moreover, implementing these design aspects could also help reduce costs leading to a return of investments within three years.
- A case study of the Dublin Methodist Hospital showed that features such as providing private rooms to patients with abundant natural lighting, and using noise reducing materials only accounted for a small portion of the total budget. And even though they didn’t cost much, they improved services by reducing the rate of care-acquired infections and patient falls with injury.
- Hospitals such as the Sacred Heart Medical Center in Oregon took ambience to the next level by incorporating soothing art pieces and views of the natural landscape into the interior design of the hospital. This was initially met with some resistance by the concerned board as these features were considered an unnecessary expense. But eventually, these features actually helped in reducing the lengths of stay and costs of discharge.
- Implementing design changes based on patient evidence could also prove to be highly beneficial. For example, Migrant workers may not have the facility to visit a hospital when necessary due to the nature of their work. To solve this problem, mobile health vans have been deployed in some locations such as new jersey which not only help the workers but are also eco-friendly due to their biodiesel and solar powered engines.
From our above discussion it is clear that implementing even a few changes can go a long way in terms of both quality and cost savings. So, if you’re a medical professional looking to start a new medical facility, don’t be too stingy and look at the bigger picture. This little mentality change could possibly help you make big savings in the long run.