“Complex” can be an understatement when describing the complications associated with a healthcare facility construction project. Chances are, if you’re tasked with a medically related facility improvement, you’re no stranger to the impact on operations. A top-quality facility is no longer optional to compete in the crowded market of 2018 meds, and there are a few ways to ensure balance with peers.
End-User Benefit
An attention toward facility function and amenities opens doors to more patients selecting the location for care, but also better talent inclined to seek employment there. Once it’s known that one healthcare organization is innovating their real estate portfolio, competitors react in a ripple effect to the point where a building with the best care may not seem credible any longer due to the hotel-like appearance of many market-leading competition.
Medical Requirement Compliance
With specialty equipment demands, generators, and emergency back-up requirements for certain patients, new and smoothly-functioning buildings are often a must. Smart uses of energy from efficient systems can save costs and can have a huge impact on operational performance. An environment where top-quality care can be delivered doesn’t come cheap, but eventually there is more revenue potential from best-in-class building components. The ability of the infrastructure to support the technology in on-going applications is a mandatory. Doing so in an ecologically saavy way is even better. Both these focuses can be easily achieved through collaboration with a nimble construction manager.
When these types of projects can be managed entirely by a construction manager, there are turn-key solutions that cause little stress and risk. When you have the unique needs and quality requirement characterized by the healthcare sector, there is no room to not engage a healthcare construction expert.
Technology Integration
Not only is technology critical in the building’s end product, however also during the actual construction.
Andrew Quick of Skanska USA Healthcare explained a project being executed in Florida as a pilot program testing a real-time location system (RTLS) in medical construction. At the onset of an eight-story tower construction, the team used this technology to track who was on site at all times, and as a safety and security tool.
“The analytics retrieved from the pilot indicate that RTLS may help improve productivity and enhance individual environmental awareness. However, findings did reveal that access to reliable internet is one of the major challenges for RTLS on active construction sites, considering these environments are transient and ever-changing. While this technology is still in its infancy for construction, future pilots are planned with next-generation hardware and improved software, connectivity and analytics.”
It’s not a large leap to claim that technology is presenting a (productively) disruptive force in medical construction as we’ve traditionally come to know it. Pushing for efficiency in each step of the healthcare environment, both during and after construction is the goal. With the availability of new gadgets and applications, we can gather information that can be directly used in the built environment to eventually impact clinical outcomes and enhance operational adaptability.
Sources referenced:
https://mcdmag.com/2018/02/the-disruptive-force-of-technology-changing-the-future-face-of-healthcare/#.WwbM_kgvyUk