![]() Site visits were conducted and Reliant’s information technology department was also consulted. Before MPA could even begin the design work, patients, medical providers and staff of various ages were interviewed about the current exam room setup and their feelings on everything from lighting to those computer desks. The prescription was Reliant’s use of its Patient and Family Advisory Council. Similarly, if a patient is sitting on an exam table with a doctor standing above or sitting below, communication about important health issues may be impacted. If the provider is spending most of the appointment looking straight into a fixed computer, the level of comfort a patient will feel with the doctor may be diminished. But Reliant wanted to ensure that within the exam room triangle – involving the provider, patient and computer – direct human interaction was being preserved at all points. A proliferation of computers in health care and an increased use of electronic medical records has made almost everything efficient during medical appointments. While many of us are familiar with references to the doctor-patient relationship, the doctor-patient-computer relationship may not be as familiar a term. In order to arrive at that result, both Reliant and MPA chose to involve the opinions of the people most affected by the operational environment of a medical practice: the patients, providers and staff. The result is an efficient interior design that aims to improve doctor’s office visits in a variety of ways. In 2011, Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA) of Boston and Reliant Medical Group, a multi-specialty medical group in central Massachusetts, launched an initiative to examine the “exam room of the future.” Before relocating its Holden Family Practice to a newly constructed patient care building in Holden, Mass., Reliant sought to create a universal exam room that could serve as a model for its future locations. And general exam rooms are improving too. Dentists are streamlining their appointments by investing in new equipment. Physiotherapists are replacing their outdated equipment with the more technologically advanced supplies sold by suppliers like Remington Medical. ![]() It’s happening in every part of the healthcare industry and definitely isn’t going away any time soon. ![]() Just as primary care medicine is constantly evolving so is the doctor’s office and the exam room settings many of us will visit throughout our lifetime. © 2023 All Rights Reserved.Long gone are the glass vials of cotton swabs and tongue depressors – and even the post-exam lollipops. Incandescents use more energy than other types of bulbs and can be warm to the touch. Incandescent bulbs offer warmer light, but they have a short life cycle and require frequent replacement. They have been the standard for years, although LED is quickly becoming the go-to lighting source for medical applications. Halogen bulbs offer a brighter, more intense light than incandescent and are often used for task, exam, and surgical applications. Although LED light fixtures typically cost more initially, the total ownership cost is dramatically reduced due to lower maintenance and replacement bulb costs. LED bulbs are more energy-efficient, can last up to 20 times longer than halogen, are cooler-running, and contain no toxic chemicals. As eyes fatigue, we are more likely to pick up on blue hues. Bluish-white shades fall on the scale toward 5,000 K, while reddish shades fall on the lower end toward 2,700K. This is important not only to recognize blemishes on the skin, but also to identify the color of the vessels, which darken according to the depth of the incision. Kelvin (K) refers to color temperature of the light. If you are used to measuring in footcandles, one footcandle is equal to one lumen per square foot. Lux One lux is equal to one lumen per square meter. Watts measure the amount of energy consumed and do not correlate to brightness. We have been conditioned to buy lighting based on wattages needed for our homes, but this is not the best way to compare light intensity. ![]() The higher the lux, the brighter the light. Watts Lux is a measure of the brightness of a light source. Poor or lower lighting levels can lead to increased errors, eye fatigue, reduced productivity, and poor morale.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |