Methods Of Evaluating Healthcare Facility Design Projects Essay Samples

Introduction

Healthcare facility designs are meant to ensure that all stakeholder's needs are met. Thus, evaluating the success of those designs is crucial in identifying the challenges that need to e-addresses as well as what can be enhanced to improve the healthcare facilities environment. In that view, this discussion presents a description of the methods used in evaluating the designs success.

Discussion

Facility design performance evaluation is an extension of occupancy evaluation. It is continuous and symmetrical evaluation of effectiveness and performance of various aspects of buildings. Those aspects relate to issues including esthetics, accessibility, cost effectiveness, safety, functionality, sustainability, and security. The various evaluation models include quick response surveys; decision focused evaluations, design guide evaluations and evaluations for creation of a knowledge base, as well as evaluations, to improve building delivery and managements systems. (Detke, Harris & Particini, 2013)

Quick-response surveys 

The surveys are performed for the purpose of fine-tuning the facilities after their occupation. The method includes a questionnaire and structured interviews that provide feedback to the users and the project managers. The method is mainly aimed at providing quick responses that help addressing the stakeholders’ needs.

Decision-focused evaluations 

The method offers input in specific design and diagnoses troubled projects as well as assessing new designs and programs and applicable technologies. It is useful in identifying the issues with the design and recommending suitable solutions. (Reiling, 2007)

Evaluations for design guides

 The method is useful in establishing crucial components and making decisions for repeated facilities types. Thus, it is crucial in identifying the best practices and research for future projects and enhancing the success based on evidence.

Evaluations for creating a knowledgebase 

The method tries to link a facility’s design decisions to its key drivers as well as making evaluations’ information more accessible to the stakeholders also participate in suggesting solutions.

Evaluations to improve building delivery and managements systems 

The method applies in suggesting ways to create better communication mechanisms across the stakeholders. It also entails empowering stakeholders and encouraging their participation through incentives. (Reiling, 2007)
The evaluation methods have a number of benefits including short-term, medium and long term. The short term benefits relate to the immediate decisions, management and facility maintenance issues. Medium term benefits within a range of 3-5 years relate to the generation of useful information for the future projects. Finally, long-term benefits relate to the improvement of the long-term performance of the facilities for justification of major expenditures. (Cama, 2009)
They also provide opportunities for improving various stages of the building processes and the relationship between building environment and behavior as well as among users, owners, and designers. Thus, the methods have a crucial role to play in building of healthcare facilities to ensure efficiency in serving various stakeholders needs. In addition, the continued computerization of the design success evaluation systems and building control systems, they evolve thus making the evaluation and data management as well as sharing of information easier and cost effective. (Guenther & Vittori, 2008)

Conclusion

In view of the summary, there are various methods for evaluating the success of healthcare facilities design success. The methods focus on enhancing the designs performance by addressing issues during the planning, building as well as during the facilities occupancy. Thus, they entail identifying how well the stakeholders’ needs are met as well as establishing means of better designs that enhance future projects.

References

Cama, R. (2009). Evidence-based healthcare design. New Jersey: Wiley.
Guenther, R. & Vittori, G. (2008). Sustainable Healthcare Architecture. New Jersey: Wiley.
Detke L., Harris, D. & Particini, A. (2013). Hospital Facility Design’s Influence On Health
Care Workers. The Internet Journal of Healthcare Administration. 8(2).
Reiling, J. (2007). Designing safety in health care facilities,culture and processes,
(pp. 33–44.). Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commission Resources, Inc.