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HEALTHCARE REAL ESTATE, CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN & FACILITY PLANNING

Now Is the Time to Plan a Better Year!

December is a time of holidays and cel- quiet and steady, to promote the healing the patient experience isolation between spaces. 3)
ebration, and of fellowship and joy. It is rest and sleep that patients need. A sup- data are in, and areas for Required speech privacy
also a time to plan for the coming year. portive acoustical environment will win improvement are identi- where needed to meet
The planning and budget process is the provider praise and better outcomes, fied, then the budget HIPAA rules. 4) Proper
already well underway at many institu- while a poor environment will deter good plan should allow for a room reverberation and
tions. So in order to formulate and set pri- outcomes and elicit complaints. program to increase sound absorption in vital
orities, allocate resources and achieve the Plan the program to improve the awareness of the acousti- spaces such as nurses sta-
desired goals, time is of the essence. acoustical environment in the same way as cal environment by the tions and dining halls.
A key goal for healthcare providers is to other functions with the goal of progress. front-line caregivers, Planning to create a success-
provide every patient with a place of heal- This is built upon three pillars: doctors, nurses and staff. ful, efficient and productive
ing in order to speed their return to well- Administrative policy 1) Form peer group BY BENNETT BROOKS, facility from the beginning,
ness. The Patient Experience is an impor- Operational practices (Quality of Care) teams PE, FASA, INCE will often result in measure-
tant factor, not only for successful health Facility improvement to disseminate the mis- able outcome improve-
outcomes, but also for the financial stabil- Administrative Policy - It is incumbent sion and the approach. 2) Assist Quality ments at a lower cost.
ity of the organization. Among many on the administration to set priorities, of Care teams to develop noise control A commitment to a better acoustical
aspects, the acoustical environment at the especially to define the goals for the next recommendations for caregiver behav- environment begins in the budget and
healthcare facility plays a large role in the year. Measurable improvement of the iors, the equipment in use and for other planning process. Policy development
efforts to create a more positive experience Patient Experience is a top goal for many operational procedures, which are then based on measurable data, along with
for patients. organizations. Improvement of the disseminated to all. 3) Verify improve- incremental improvements in care prac-
Continual improvement of the patient acoustical environment is a realistic goal, ments in patient experience, such as the tices and facilities as opportunities are
experience is a high priority for most which can be reached by planning and frequency of awakenings, after the imple- identified will result in satisfying patient
healthcare providers. The actions that can budgeting several administrative initia- mentation of recommended noise con- experiences, better patient outcomes and
be planned and budgeted to achieve this tives. 1) An assessment of the acoustics trol solutions. a sense of accomplishment for caregivers.
goal can be accomplished in a series of tar- which currently exist in patient areas, Facility Improvement - Direct the That is something worth planning for!
geted and manageable steps. These steps with a comprehensive acoustical audit. facility team to achieve the best possible We welcome your thoughts on the
will each have measurable results which 2) Data mining to provide correlations patient experience and outcomes. The acoustics of the Patient Experience, and
will inform and lead into the next step. between the acoustical environment, budget for maintenance, construction on your efforts to create an environment
The first step is to recognize that the patient outcomes and patient survey and renovation will account for the of healing.
acoustical environment is an important results. 3) Identification of areas for acoustic facility components to be
factor in the patient’s perception of the improvement in care practices and facili- planned, designed and implemented in Bennett Brooks is President, Brooks
healthcare provider. A basic example of a ty operations. such a way as to enhance the healing Acoustics Corp. For more information, visit
positive acoustical environment is a back- Operational Practices - Once the process. These include, 1) Quiet www.brooksacoustics.com
ground sound climate which is relatively acoustical environment assessment and mechanical systems. 2) Adequate sound or call (754) 229-1450.

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South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com December 2017 21