The emergence of the internet of things (IoT)
The realm of health care facilities designs continues to undergo rapid change due to a wide range of factors. Most of the factors contribute to the adjustment of facility structures to optimize patient care and to reduce the costs of design. This paper explores two main trends in the health care scene that spurred the evolution of facility design.
IoT Devices
The emergence of the internet of things (IoT) in the health care sector spurred the surge of smart devices and technologies. These devices not only have strong popularity among consumers but have significantly changed facility design in the health care sector.
Research shows that facility managers have a broad range of options to choose from with the added advantage of incorporating smart technologies to improve the design (Cae-Li, 2019). For instance, the internet of things devices improves design features such as door lock alarms and surveillance systems. The technologies are conducive for facility design because they feature mobile access and control. These features make the management of facilities easier and less time-consuming.
Researchers warn that the integration of technologies into the facility design and network should be done cautiously to prevent security breaches (Cae-Li, 2019). In the future, the internet of things devices and technologies will likely become even more common in the health care sector. The increased application will expose the systems to more security breaches, an eventuality that facility designers need to prepare for in advance.
Considering the broad range of tasks and activities involved in facility design, hospitals can use technology to offer the customers superior service. As more innovations and devices come up, the use of smart devices becomes increasingly complex and multifunctional (Hutton & Richardson, 2015). To retain leadership in facility design, the hospitals should ensure that the facility designs keep up with new trends.
Internet of things devices and technologies evolved from third-party integrations. Traditionally, health care companies felt comfortable using different tools for facility management (Cae-Li, 2019). Currently, the companies prefer to use integrated systems that can easily connect to the devices used by staff quickly and conveniently. Their party integration driven by the internet of things are convenient since the facility designer would not have to transfer the health care data to new systems. Internet of things also makes facility design easier since there is no learning curve for the designers, hence increasing efficiency.
Furthermore, the evolution of the internet of things allows the facility managers to make accurate and executive decisions. The technologies feature predictive analytics which in turn enable the facility managers to build long term plans and to replace the dysfunctional equipment without necessarily creating bottlenecks quickly.
Cloud computing offers more flexibility for facility administrators, allowing them to view work-related data and send files outside the workplace. Using cloud services will also minimize data loss, and network malfunction costs as all data are stored on a web server available from any computer. In the future, cloud computing is expected to reduce the operating expenses of hospitals by 40% (Cae-Li, 2019). Also, it will allow the internet of things to increase the scalability of small firms as well as reduce large numbers of inspections related to design.
Developing custom mobile tools to help access facility-related data is essential for adaptability and acceleration of response. Being able to monitor the status of all significant facility activities at any time increases versatility and efficiency in the workplace and assists managers in decision-making. This feature enables managers to control the information sharing process, multi-task better and manage complex workload efficiently.
Consumer Demands
Changing consumer demand is the second trend that spurred the evolution of facility design in the health care sector. In the last several years, the industry witnessed substantial gains in productivity. Operations within health care facilities were refined and simplified. Costs were lowered by closer cooperation with the manufacturers. For example, customer service has now been enhanced by providing information, obtaining services and products conveniently (Hutton & Richardson, 2015). The driving force of the whole transition is the demand generated by the consumer. Modern consumers look for almost any good or service at the best possible price and the best value. The demands of consumers pushed businesses to cut down expenses and to change the layout of the facilities to resemble hotels and spas.
Healthcare providers had for some period expected that the rise of consumerism would change the sector. While the move to a customer-driven paradigm has yielded mixed results to date, this change may gain traction in the next decade as suppliers are further pressured by parallels with other markets where the user is in charge of their service. Patients may begin to be affected by the convenience of online retail, voice assistants and online payments, thus forming perceptions of how they would be able to arrange appointments, connect with their physicians, and order medicines.
Health practice director Wayne Barger suggests that to achieve a much more customer-focused experience; designers must focus on exposure and practicality while challenging long-held research questions about having to wait, admission and registration processes (Cae-Li, 2019). Over the past decade, we have seen significant gains in productivity in many businesses, particularly in sectors such as the health care industry. Processes within enterprises were optimized and streamlined. Costs were lowered by closer cooperation with the suppliers. Customer support, for example, has increased access to services through the provision of data.
The motivating factor of this change is competitiveness generated by the consumer, who currently seeks to get superior health care services at the most affordable costs. This change forced businesses to cut costs while improving services and culminated in smarter business processes but also enhanced technologies. Currently, the key for companies to survive in the extremely competitive environment is flexibility, ability to adapt and speed of change. Several of these improvements were made possible by the growing usage of technology and the internet. In essence, without a reliable IT support, a lot of the techniques would never have been likely. In many enterprises, IT has become tactical, allowing digital healthcare.
Consumer demand has also influenced facility design by supporting major innovations and significant developments in the health care environment. The increase in life expectancy is an accomplishment that arises through changed plans. A large portion of the design transition has happened in ancillary divisions, and not in central systems that directly engage the clients in healthcare. Facility design will continue changing towards private rooms to meet the new demands of consumers. Facility designers will, therefore, need to continue monitoring the trends of consumers’ demands to adjust the patient rooms accordingly (Mcginthy & Michaels, 2019). For instance, in the future, patients are likely to ask for separate rooms for their visitors which will call for new facility designs.
Conclusion
The internet of things and changing consumer demands are two factors that influence facility design in the health care industry. Future trends in consumer behaviour are likely to cause further adjustments. At the same time, better connectivity is expected to reduce the costs of facility design.