Optimising Your Healthcare Practice to Increase Comfort & Engagement

Optimising the space in your clinic is much more than finding the most effective logistical setup for your healthcare practice (though that’s still important).  It’s also about leveraging the space available to you to make your practice more comfortable and engaging for patients and staff alike. 

Below are a few suggestions for achieving full optimisation of your practice environment.

Practical Comfort

If you want to optimise your space to increase comfort for your patients, seating is a logical place to start.

Buying comfortable furniture for both your waiting room is an investment worth making, because it will most definitely enhance your patient experience.

When selecting chairs and seating for your practice, a simple litmus test is if you would be happy to sit in the seat yourself. In addition to comfort and back support, look for seating that will be durable and can withstand the rigours of a busy healthcare clinic.

Psychological Comfort

There are also many ways to optimise your practice space to add stimuli that can relieve and reduce patient stress and anxiety.

Hanging artwork (perhaps even from a local artist) or images of beautiful landscapes can provide a positive distraction. It can also help to alleviate negative emotions. This is important for your waiting room as well as your consult and treatment rooms.  Windows that offer views of nature can have a comparable effect.

Similarly, potted plants can be used to bring nature into your practic. This adds both a pleasing aesthetic touch and a sense of calm. These positive distractions will make your space more psychologically comfortable for your patients. (And in turn, this will also make your practice more comfortable for your staff!)

Staff Engagement

Positioning your team’s break room nearby your consult and treatment rooms isn’t just an efficient use of space. By improving the visibility of these rooms and promoting interaction between your various staff members, this simple space optimisation can help to naturally improve collegiality.

Your patients may not consciously notice that your staff interact well together, but they’re likely to notice it subconsciously. Which can only be good for your practice. Improved collegiality between your team members can also lead to better patient outcomes and lower staff turnover.

Learn More

At Elite Fitout Solutions, we have years of experience fitting out and refurbishing clinics in a variety of locations.

If you’re considering optimising your new or existing healthcare practice environment, we can help.

Contact us today to discuss your plans for your clinic fitout or refurbishment.