Designing a video consultation area for hybrid care delivery: the Garden Room with a view

Abstract

IntroductionAccelerated by the coronavirus pandemic, the healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving, with a shift towards hybrid care models combining in-person and online care. To support this shift, the Radboudumc, an academic hospital in the Netherlands, decided to redesign an existing space facilitating the conduction of video consultations.MethodThe design process involved participation of end-users to ensure that the physical space met their needs. The look and feel of the area was based on evidence-based design guidelines. Two prototype setups were built and tested, and the feedback informed the final design of the Garden Room.ResultsIdentified end-user needs were divided into 3 major categories entailing consultation room setup, optimal use of technology and practical issues involving room availability. Combined with the look and feel of the hospital, final design requirements were developed. The Garden Room consists of 18 video consultation rooms, 4 shared workspaces, relaxation area with kitchen, and meeting rooms. Specific attention is given to the ergonomics, technology and privacy in the rooms to facilitate optimal video conversations between patients and healthcare providers. In the Garden Room, natural elements and an open design supports working in a healing environment.DiscussionNext challenge will be optimizing the use of the Garden Room, which may be hindered by various barriers like resistance to change, existing work processes, and lack of skills training. To address these barriers and support use of the Garden Room, the hospital should focus on the implementation of education, changes in work processes, and the presence of advocates for telehealth.

Evaluation of Telemedicine Consultations Using Health Outcomes and User Attitudes and Experiences: Scoping Review

“…This potentially indicates challenges to effectively implementing remote care technologies due to inadequate resources and infrastructure. Such challenges have also been shown to be tied to design aspects, where remote consultation areas in hospitals require a different setting and design from traditional and existing infrastructure [ 89 ]. In relation to supplemental technologies providing assistance to address such issues, supplemental technologies providing assistance could be extrapolated from the review by Baker and Stanley [ 90 ] of technical aspects of telemedicine technology.…”

The Inflow, Throughput and Outflow of COVID-19 Patients in Dutch Hospitals: Experiences from Experts and Middle Managers

“…Innovations in remote healthcare and eHealth applications and non-physical consultations that have already been initiated before the COVID-19 period have been further expanded [ 48 ]. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of hospitals are moving to a hybrid care approach that combines online non-physical care with personal care [ 49 ].…”