Healthcare Design - March 2014 - 42

on the work surface, allowing them to face the patient and simultaneously enter information. Staff also
has the ability to select specific information to shift
onto the patient-doctor shared screen. Connection
to the patient's personal folder on the patient portal
allows the doctor to easily drop in instructional videos, documents, or other important information that
the patient can access later.
Education zones
Education zones dispersed throughout clinical
areas can introduce patients to the use of devices
that monitor their condition, teaching them how
to interpret and utilize real-time device-generated
information. At Winthrop, with its focus on diabetes care, research, and education, this manifests
in technology training rooms and insulin pump
education rooms specifically designed to introduce
patients to new technologies available to help them
as they live with their disease. Home scales and
glucose monitors connected to the patient portal will
update patient records daily and alert doctors of any
important issues. Likewise, the information collected
from the monitors is well documented in order to
keep the option of retro-analysis available to patients
and doctors.
Telemedicine
Current technology enables doctors and patients
to connect remotely and share information in a
variety of ways, through two-way video, email, smart
phones, wireless tools, and more. All classrooms
and conference rooms at Winthrop's new facility are designed with interactive video conference
capability, giving physicians the opportunity to work
remotely with patients or provide information to
family members, while both callers view the same
information on their individual screens.
These same building resources can be used
to enhance a patient consultation by connecting
remotely with a specialist at an affiliate institution
or by allowing a family member to conference-in
on an education session. Additionally, devices that
upload information to the patient's records allow the
healthcare provider to monitor a patient's progress
between visits and can provide an early indication of any alarming developments and conditions.
However, planning for telemedicine must go beyond
current uses to anticipate future applications, such
as traveling nurses connecting to doctors in realtime or "robot doctor" specialists incorporated into
care facilities.

HCDmagazine.com 03.14

EMR scanning room
As electronic medical records (EMR) become
the standard, some healthcare facilities are still
in transition. At Winthrop, a large room is being
created with space for EMR scanning equipment and the storage of medical records while
this transition is underway. When the scanning
is complete, the room is designed to be repurposed. Scanning equipment and files will be
removed and replaced with conference furniture
and systems to support telemedicine.

Planning for telemedicine must go beyond
current uses to anticipate future applications,
such as traveling nurses connecting to doctors
in real-time or "robot doctor" specialists
incorporated into care facilities.
Interactive features
Technology can entertain and stimulate while
it educates-a critical tool in the planning and
design of pediatric healthcare environments,
especially. Offering a specialty area for pediatric
diabetes, the design of the Winthrop site aims to
capture the attention of young patients through
an interactive wall in the pediatric waiting area.
The overall goal of the installation is to promote
movement, an important prevention method for
pediatric diabetes patients, through customdesigned interactive games that will be simultaneously entertaining and educational.
Future forward
The rapid advancement and pervasive influence
of technology has created the opportunity to reimagine the delivery of healthcare. Designers are
tasked with the challenge of integrating known
technology that will enhance the patient experience in current time while strategizing future
technological advancements and possibilities.
This insight, resourcefulness, and ability to visualize physical space with emerging technology will
help shape the future patient experience and care
model. HCD
Evan Weremeychik, AIA, LEED AP, is an associate
principal at Perkins Eastman (New York). He can be
reached at e.weremeychik@perkinseastman.com.

http://www.HCDmagazine.com

Healthcare Design - March 2014

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