Hospitals are constantly looking for ways to improve their operations in order to provide the best care possible. This includes updating equipment and supplies, creating more efficient work environments, reducing wasted space and expenses, and improving the aesthetics and functionality of their facilities. By doing this, hospitals can make life easier for patients, doctors, and staff. The goal is clear: making the most of what you have in order to provide the best care possible!
- Make patient discharge easier and faster
- Reducing medication errors
- Improve EMRs
- Update equipment and supplies
- Create more efficient work environments
- Reduce wasted space and expenses
- Improve aesthetics and functionality
- Improve hospital cafeterias and food services
- Improve hospital entrances and lobbies
- Improve lighting
- Create quiet spaces
Make patient discharge easier and faster
One way medical facilities can improve their operations is by making patient discharge easier and faster. This can be done by creating a discharge checklist that includes all the information the patient will need, such as contact information for follow-up appointments and prescriptions. It’s also important to have staff who are available to help patients with anything they need before they leave.
Reducing medication errors
One of the most common types of medical errors is giving a patient the wrong drug or incorrect dosage. There are a lot of different reasons for this, from using an outdated list to misreading handwriting on a label. One way to fix this is by having a computer system that automatically alerts staff when they’ve dispensed the wrong medication or dosage. This can be achieved through dedicated software through consulting Servicenow and similar services to build a dedicated system.
Improve EMRs
Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are currently the most efficient way to store patient information. However, many hospitals use decades-old systems that don’t have all of the necessary features for handling today’s complex cases. This can result in mistakes and lost time. Hospitals should keep up with the latest EMRs and choose one that can work for each department.
Update equipment and supplies
A hospital’s equipment and supplies usually need to be updated every few years, but sometimes hospitals neglect this important step. Old equipment is more likely to malfunction or break down, which wastes time and money. This is often the result of inadequate funding, but there’s an easy solution: hospitals and other medical facilities can apply to be part of the state’s Equipment Loan Fund, which provides low-interest loans to purchase new equipment.
Create more efficient work environments
One way hospitals can make their staff’s jobs easier is by creating comfortable workspaces. This includes making employees’ offices accessible to the public during off-hours, adding vending machines filled with healthy snacks, and providing ergonomic chairs and desks that fit the user properly.
Reduce wasted space and expenses
Hospitals often create rooms and areas that aren’t used for their intended purpose. This is a waste of resources since it requires hospitals to hire additional staff and buy more equipment. There are many solutions for this problem, including either using the room/area as intended, using it for a different purpose, or repurposing the space.
Improve aesthetics and functionality
Hospitals should pay attention to how they design their facilities from the floors to the ceiling. This includes focusing on both aesthetics and functionality, which can be done by having well-designed rooms, signage that is easy to read, and colors that don’t make people feel stressed out.
Improve hospital cafeterias and food services
There are a lot of ways hospitals can improve the food they serve, such as offering more healthy items on their menus and providing more seating areas, so people don’t have to wait in line for a table. Another way is by making it easy for hospital staff to deliver food to patients’ rooms.
Improve hospital entrances and lobbies
Hospital entrances and lobbies should be designed with both aesthetics and functionality in mind. They should be easy to navigate and hold all of the necessary items for visitors, such as a restroom, water fountain, vending machine, and kiosk for picking up forms. This makes it easy for people to get what they need without walking around the entire hospital.
Improve lighting
Improving local lighting can make a huge difference for patients. Hospitals often use fluorescent lights everywhere, which creates an unpleasant environment for both staff and patients. In addition to creating aesthetically pleasing spaces, hospitals should also provide task lighting where it’s needed.
Create quiet spaces
Some patients’ rooms become less quiet when the staff is there. Hospitals can create a separate space for staff to rest or take calls without disturbing the patients. This type of space will make patients feel more comfortable and relaxed through small changes such as relaxing music playing in the background, dim lighting, and comfortable seating.
While these improvements might seem obvious at first glance, those in the healthcare industry are often far too busy attending to their patients. This is why hospital managers need to pay more to improvements, especially the ones listed here.
