Healthcare Design - November 2014 - 16

MONITOR
PERSPECTIVE

Are team rooms provoking
doctors' ire?

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Citing discontent among physicians, Sheila F. Cahnman, founding
principal of JumpGarden Consulting LLC (Wilmette, Ill.), asked in a
recent Healthcare Design blog whether the industry has gone too far
in the elimination of physicians' perks in the name of efficiency and
cost containment.
Specifically, she points out how many physicians have bemoaned
the loss of a private office, with today's practice more likely to involve
sharing hoteling space with clinical and ancillary support staff in
team rooms.
"While this is proven to be space and operationally efficient,
since private offices sit idle much of the day, the move also sends a
message to physicians that they don't hold an exceptional status," Cahnman writes in "Designing to Keep Doctors in the House"
(HCDmagazine.com/blogs/doctors-house). "In many cases, separate
physicians' entries, parking, lounges, and dining areas are also
gone-duplicative space in healthcare settings is expensive, after all."
She says these observations are making her rethink some current
facility planning assumptions. Her blog got plenty of others in the
field thinking, too. A discussion on Healthcare Design's LinkedIn
Group, The Healthcare Design Connection, drew a range of responses. Here's what a few had to say:
"Current practicing physicians were
schooled and trained in the pre[Affordable Care Act] era. Changes in
reimbursements, readmission penalties, and the focus on high-quality/
high-value care are finding healthcare
providers in a very different place.
Collaborative workspaces and shared
HCDmagazine.com/LinkedIn
responsibilities are here to stay. These
issues may have more to do with their discontent. Therefore, making
their workplaces less stressful, efficient, and safe are keys to ensure
clinical effectiveness."
-H.V. Nagendra, director of healthcare
Roy Anderson Corp. (Gulfport, Miss.)

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HCDmagazine.com 11.14

"Why do physicians need their own separate office when they should
be spending most of their time seeing patients or carrying out operations, etc.? Surely it's just for ego, whereas hot-desking would more
than suffice for their administration tasks. An important aspect of
keeping the clinical staff (not just the physicians) is to ensure there
are ample, well-designed breakout areas close to the department
with natural light so that they can have a little 'me' time."
-James Carrick, director
Nicorna Healthcare (Hyde, England)
To join the group or to read the full discussion,
go to HCDmagazine.com/LinkedIn.

http://www.HCDmagazine.com/blogs/doctors-house http://www.HCDmagazine.com/LinkedIn http://www.HCDmagazine.com/LinkedIn http://www.modulararts.com http://www.HCDmagazine.com

Healthcare Design - November 2014

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