Challenging Future Design

By Tim Spence and Terry Thurston

February 2020: Healthcare was busy planning and designing creative, evidence-based design healthcare environments with retail-like amenities. Fast forward to April 2020, and many of those projects are now on hold while innovation is occurring with creating field hospitals in parks and converting convention centers to hospital beds. US Navy hospital ships have stood ready to care for hospital overflow patients on the east and west coast. We have seen red tape slashed for burdensome hospital rules in this disaster to save lives. This crisis will be over; however, health experts predict potential mutations and recurring seasonal COVID-19 disease concurrent with influenza.

This article shares my top-of-mind predictions and suggestions relative to the healthcare design landscape of the future. Most of these ideas are not new, but we must have enough courage to challenge the design status quo and plan for a flexible and adaptable design.