Hospital construction projects usually involve a number of meetings and discussions with designers, partners, and stakeholders. However, one group that must not be overlooked while planning the design of any healthcare building is the common public. AKA, the people who’d actually be using that space.
Believe it or not, no matter how competent designers and builders you hire, it’s possible they will miss something. This is because they cannot completely delve into the minds of the general public, and thus wouldn’t be aware of their unique requirements. Hence, it is very important for you to take meaningful feedback from the community and incorporate their ideas into your design.
Let’s take a deeper look into how community input plays a role in hospital construction in Calgary and how you can collect it.
The Magic of Community Input in Hospital Construction in Calgary
Designing with Empathy
Do you want your hospital to feel more comfortable and welcoming? Getting feedback from the general public is the key to making it happen. When patients, families, and staff gather around and share their ideas, unique concerns are bound to be raised.
For example, some family members might address the need for a secluded, quiet room for people going through stressful situations or a comfortable seating area where senior citizens can wait for their family members.
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Identifying Blind Spots
Want to make sure you don’t miss any details in your hospital construction design? Community input is the best way to do it. No matter how competent designers may be, they cannot relate to the feelings of people who use the hospital. Thus, they’ll not be able to point out certain blind spots or gaps that may otherwise be visible to the general people.
For example, a senior patient may identify the need for handrails at a specific spot, or a patient might suggest the idea of a child friendly space. These concerns might not seem like a big deal to you. But for someone who visits the hospital, they matter. Fulfilling these small requirements can make a big difference in how people feel about your hospital.
Reflecting Calgary’s Diversity
Wish your hospital could be inclusive of various cultures? There is no better way to make it happen, than listening to the people directly. Calgary is a city that residents from different backgrounds, religions, cultures, and races call home. Hence, its healthcare spaces should reflect that.
For example, a diverse prayer room where people belonging to different belief systems can pray in their own designated corners. Moreover, a hospital cafeteria with different food options that cater to various dietary needs, such as halal, vegetarian, or gluten-free meals.
Wondering How to Collect This Input?
While there are countless ways to receive feedback from the community, we’ll talk about two of the most effective methods.
Patient Advisory Group
The first way is to form a patient advisory group made up of former patients who received treatment from your hospital and their family members who took care of them during the treatment. The hospital construction in Calgary designers can hold meetings with this group and ask about their concerns.
The team can request people to provide insights and details about their opinions. This will include what works well, what they wish was different, and how their expectations can be met.
In this way, you’ll be giving them a meaningful platform to voice their thoughts and making them feel genuinely heard.
Community Advisory Group
Another great way is to form a community advisory group. This will include people who work or live near your hospital—hence, the future comers. This is not only an effective method for collecting input but is also useful for developing a strong communal relationship. Talking to the community will help identify deficiencies and bring fresh new ideas to improve your healthcare project.
You can also conduct a survey. This will give you quicker insight into people’s minds than holding meetings.
Real Life Examples of Hospitals that Benefited from Community Input
Alberta Children’s Hospital
This hospital is an amazing example of how public feedback can completely transform the way healthcare spaces are designed. From the beginning, families and doctors played a big role in its construction design, and worked together on it.
Parents requested features to reduce stress during stays. Their suggestions resulted in rooms that are friendly for kids, play areas, and spaces where families can sleep. The hospital’s bright, colorful theme, along with outdoor places such as the healing garden, reflect contributions by several community members. This partnership resulted in a hospital that feels less clinical and more comforting.
Expansion of Foothills Medical Centre
The Foothills Medical Centre’s expansion also benefited greatly from public feedback. Being one of the biggest medical facilities in Calgary, its expansion raised worries about parking space, ease of access, and congested areas. This led to arrangement of community meetings that helped planners in directly handling these issues.
Feedback from locals had impacted everything from transportation options to the design of expanded emergency units. Their detailed insights helped improve the design and make the space a better experience for residents, patients, and staff.
Be the Change in Your Community’s Healthcare!
Every corner of a hospital tells a story. With community input, you can make sure those stories are ones of comfort, inclusion, and care. So, don’t let the designers have all the fun. Collecting feedback from the surrounding people is the missing piece in a great hospital construction in Calgary design!
Reach out to Sky Blue Construction and bring your healthcare vision to life!
