Patient Expectations Are Redefining Healthcare Facilities

U.S. patients have begun expecting more from both their healthcare providers and their healthcare facilities. In response, hospitals are building new facilities for better patient outcomes, convenient services and a superior patient experience. 

“Today’s hospitals are aiming to provide a more consumer-driven experience,” Turner Construction Co. Vice President of Healthcare Randy Keiser said. “Healthcare systems are investing in facilities that translate to more options and better service.”  

The current trend, according to Keiser, is for healthcare systems to increase their investment in well-placed outpatient facilities and upgrade their existing hospitals to pave the way for the high-tech, consumer-focused future of care. 

Keiser believes that modern, fast-paced lifestyles are driving patients to demand more convenient healthcare options, which is changing how healthcare systems approach the construction of their facilities. In response to the need for convenience, Turner Construction Co. has been constructing more outpatient facilities.

These facilities are more convenient for patients to get to, and providers can offer less expensive care than they do at large, downtown hospitals. Along with that, today’s outpatient facilities are offering much more than just stitches and antibiotics. Keiser said people are increasingly turning to outpatient centers for medical imaging, surgery and cancer treatments. 

He added that by building outpatient facilities, Turner Construction is helping healthcare systems prepare for the future of virtual care, where patients will be expecting answers and treatment in a matter of minutes, not hours. An Advisory Board poll found that 62% of baby boomers, 67% of millennials and 73% of Gen Xers expressed interest in having access to virtual, same-day doctor’s visits. If those virtual sessions require a follow-up, patients will be looking for fast, convenient access to an outpatient facility. 

“If a person wakes up with a sore throat, they want the ability to quickly access a doctor with a few keystrokes on personal devices for quick diagnoses,” Keiser said. “Then, they want that doctor to direct them to a nearby urgent care center for treatment, not a hospital miles and miles away.”  

It isn’t just the outpatient side of the industry that is changing to meet shifting patient expectations, but the inpatient side as well. Hospitals have been turning to businesses like Turner Construction to phase out their semi-private rooms in favor of private ones and to help them install sufficient technology infrastructure to keep up with patients’ and doctors’ digital demands.  

“For what they’re paying, patients are expecting a nice, private room where they can adjust the thermostat, watch streaming movies and check social media all from the patient bed,” Keiser said. “Along with that, patient care itself is becoming more data-driven and doctors need fast, reliable information technology.”  

Keiser said that to keep up with this rapidly shifting market, healthcare systems benefit from a construction firm that understands the latest trends and anticipates the demands placed on today’s hospitals. 

“The earlier they reach out to those firms, the better,” Keiser said. “A well-planned project benefits from early contractor involvement, supply chain benefits and leveraging newer technology.” 

This feature was produced in collaboration between Bisnow Branded Content and Turner Construction Co. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.