South African hospitals need to take a human-centred design approach to transform quality healthcare delivery.
Imagine a hospital designed with the human experience at its core. One where every detail encourages healing and well-being, where wards are nestled among therapeutic gardens, and where patients and families are welcomed by entrance halls filled with natural light and local art, creating an immediate sense of calm and belonging. This hospital would be more than a place of treatment, but a sanctuary.
Across South Africa and globally, hospitals are primarily considered places of healing, and to be effective in supporting patients on their health journey, a complex system operates behind the scenes to ensure hospitals function optimally. A hospital’s ecosystem relies on multiple subsystems − these include infrastructure and design, healthcare personnel, patient experience, supply chains, emergency preparedness and information systems, among others.
Managing these subsystems requires continuous adaptation to meet present and future needs. To a large extent, some of South Africa’s healthcare institutions are currently facing challenges in meeting patients’ needs. However, with challenges come opportunities. Providing an improved and more tailored patient experience can be done by adopting a human-centred design (HCD) approach. HCD has, in recent years, emerged as a cornerstone of innovation and compassion across the healthcare industry. It originated after the Second World War as a method to improve industrial production efficiency by ‘fitting the task to the worker’.
HCD has evolved to provide a holistic approach that considers human needs when designing, developing and implementing solutions for facilities, products, services, strategies, policies and more. This transformative approach goes beyond spatial aesthetics and focuses on redefining the entire healthcare journey for all stakeholders. By prioritising the needs, emotions and well-being of all stakeholders − patients, families, healthcare professionals and hospital management − HCD can shape a future where hospitals can transcend their traditional roles to make a more sustained impact.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
To successfully adopt a HCD approach, a few key considerations are imperative.
Creating a human experience beyond infrastructure
The future hospital breaks away from conventional models as it needs to evolve into a dynamic health ecosystem where medical care, well-being and innovation flourish in harmony with stakeholder needs. Embracing HCD not only enhances the experience of patients and healthcare workers but also promises a substantial return on investment for hospital management. Studies have shown that well-designed hospital environments can reduce the average patient recovery time, significantly lowering operational costs and improving bed availability. This directly contributes to increased revenue from higher patient turnover.
The patient and family journey
Central to HCD is the journey of patients and their families. These stakeholders require a significant degree of empathy and care from diagnosis through to recovery. By employing various HCD methodologies − including user research, prototyping and testing − hospitals can transform into more intuitive and effective environments.
Improved patient experiences (resulting from HCD practices) offer multiple benefits beyond direct care. These enhancements are linked to reduced complaint handling and lower litigation costs, providing significant risk mitigation and financial advantages for healthcare facilities. It could also contribute to a stronger brand perception that attracts more patients seeking quality care, thereby enhancing hospital revenue.
Empowering healthcare workers through design
The well-being of healthcare workers is as crucial as that of the patients. The future hospital provides an enhanced work environment where healthcare workers’ working conditions are improved, leading to reduced absenteeism and staff turnover. Improving the digital infrastructure to support healthcare workers, as highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, has also proven to not only enhance service delivery but also increase job satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Strategic hospital management
Effective hospital management is crucial for maintaining high standards of care and operational efficiency. Implementing HCD principles, coupled with robust change management strategies, facilitates continuous improvement and adaptation. This strategic approach helps with retaining skilled healthcare professionals and boosts patient satisfaction, enhancing the hospital’s reputation and competitive edge.
South Africa’s hospitals of the future
In this visionary setting, every aspect of the hospital adapts to the evolving needs of patients, families, healthcare workers and management. These spaces need to be designed as mindful spaces − in healthcare, this is the creation of spaces that foster calm and presence in patients and staff, while also serving as sanctuaries designed to reduce stress, enhance mental clarity, and promote emotional balance. These spaces will support collaboration and encourage interaction among staff, patients and families. This approach will not only set a new standard for healthcare excellence in South Africa but also demonstrate that when design is infused with empathy, collaboration and innovation, the potential for healing and transformation is truly boundless.
Author
Belinda Carreira CA(SA), CCB.D is CEO at SustainableDNA and Usithandile Zikalala BA Hons (Labour, Economic & Development Sociology) is a consultant at SustainableDNA.
