COVID-19 caused chaos in the healthcare sector with expenditures, patient load, and efficiencies all missing the mark of what they were in 2019. The industry is at a crossroads, and change is happening at a breakneck pace — perhaps too fast.
The epidemic also highlighted supply management flaws, prompting hospitals and medical systems to consider consolidation, standardization and incorporate data analytics to be better equipped for the next disaster.
At Konrad Construction, we understand the contemporary requirements of hospital construction by considering all factors thoroughly. This is what makes us the best healthcare construction company in the area!
To address these and other difficulties, we believe the following significant developments will impact healthcare construction.
1. GREATER SPACE IS REQUIRED
Healthcare facilities are experiencing a surge in patients and are discovering that they need extra space to meet the increased number of individuals seeking treatment. This urge for space may manifest itself in various ways, but the two most common ones we’ve observed are expanding passageways and bigger rooms.
Many hospitals are relatively large, yet you may have observed that the halls are quite small. Especially with the easily transmissible coronavirus still here, institutions should expand their passageways to prevent patients from coming into close contact. Another solution is to create more efficient paths across the building to limit the number of individuals that walk past each other.
One approach to accomplish this is to designate specific halls as one-way. Because lengthening hallways is a costly improvement, creating better paths through the structure is a practical approach to prevent viruses from spreading from person to person.
2. INNOVATIVE LIGHTING SYSTEMS
More and more healthcare construction services are including indirect lighting into their designs to put patients at rest. It’s not only more appealing to the eye, but it’s also a better alternative for persons with light sensitivity because it more closely resembles natural light.
To provide patients control in their rooms, several hospitals utilize adjustable lighting or numerous lighting fixtures. This way, if a patient is asleep and a visitor wants to stay up and relax, they may do so without bothering one another.
Healthcare systems are also using UV lighting to maintain higher levels of hygiene. The Ultraviolet light kills germs, making patient rooms (or even staff areas) more hygienic and reducing the transmission of hazardous microorganisms that may infect other individuals.
3. WAITING ROOMS THAT ARE SECURE AND HEALTHIER
We expect healthcare providers to invest in waiting room seating that allows patients to stretch out comfortably and have enough space. This requires hospital construction companies to install panels that are washable and antibacterial.
Polyester, polyester-vinyl composites, vinyl, and even acrylics are commonly thought of as antibacterial materials. Concrete structures and chair covers are also excellent choices since they are easy to clean, particularly in the event of spillage as well as other tricky incidents.
4. IMPROVED HVAC SYSTEMS
As a result of COVID’s influence, new HVAC practices and infection-proof flooring have become prominent. HVAC systems are necessary for bigger facilities, such as hospitals, but if they are mishandled, they can transmit airborne infections and viruses throughout the institution.
To minimize the transmission of germs, healthcare facilities will most likely upgrade their HVAC systems in 2021 and beyond. There are already strong regulations in the healthcare industry. Still, after witnessing how a highly infectious virus like COVID-19 was able to travel within them, specialists may propose re-standardizing the HVAC systems used within healthcare institutions.
5. VIABILITY
The world is changing, and the healthcare business is adjusting its perspective on its facilities. Using sustainable materials during the construction process is becoming more prevalent, but finding ways to preserve water and power in a huge facility like a hospital is equally critical.
People have changing demands and worries about healthcare. The dynamic changes in healthcare demands mean that the healthcare systems will need to implement a set of alternative techniques at the same time to provide different treatments to patients in a variety of settings while lowering costs. The future calls for dynamic changes from medical construction contractors regarding medical construction and design.
