Creating a strategic healthcare waiting room design can enhance the experience for visitors and patients.
Some people experience stress or annoyance when going to their healthcare appointments – creating a strategic healthcare waiting room design can enhance the experience for visitors and patients. Their first impression and capacity to wait in a welcoming area set the tone for the remainder of the patient’s visit. While the patient experience must be a priority, the healthcare waiting room design should also consider how it will impact the receptionists’ or doctors’ work performance.
Welcoming Reception Area
Creating a warm and inviting reception area will help put your patients at ease because an open, brightly lit room is always friendlier than a dark space; instead of the harsh fluorescent overhead lights that may feel sterile for a comforting environment, use warmer lights or use wall-mounted fixtures and table lamps to off-set the colors. Also, painting the walls with a calming or neutral color can make the waiting area feel more significant and cozier.
Moreover, finish decorating the healthcare waiting room with homey touches such as coffee tables, coat racks, and potted plants. Consider laying down some area rugs if your medical office needs carpet flooring. Or attempt to make the waiting room feel more like a living room to help calm your anxious patients.
Excellent Accommodations
The seats in your healthcare waiting room should be comfortable, clean, and able to accommodate various visiting patients. In addition, wide seats with armrests tend to be the most accessible and convenient for people of all ages, sizes, and heights. Also, leave out plenty of reading material like newspapers, informative brochures, and magazines for people to enjoy while waiting.
Furthermore, some offices have a television in their waiting area to entertain patients and visitors. However, keep the TV on a family-friendly channel at a low volume with captions. Remember to have some books and toys available if the practice sees a lot of kids. Another nice touch in any healthcare waiting room is a water dispenser for parched patients.
Receptionist Work
Since the receptionist will most likely handle check-ins and check-outs, answer calls, and process gains at the front desk, a clear separation is critical between the waiting space and their working space. Additionally, employees won’t want to disturb patients with excess noise. However, maintaining some privacy for the receptionist is also vital since he or she handles personal medical information. Lastly, the noisier office equipment, such as printers and fax machines, should go in the back of the reception area to minimize distractions and keep sensitive medical documents away from prying eyes.
Choose Edwards & Hill for Your Office Furniture and Design Needs
Are you ready to redesign your office to maximize productivity and creative thinking? Edwards & Hill can help you design and install the perfect designs for your business. Edwards & Hill is a leading office, education, medical, and hospitality furniture provider with high-quality design and installation services for any style or scale. We have our headquarters in Annapolis Junction, Maryland, and another convenient office location in St. Louis, Missouri. If you are ready to get your office design started, contact us online or give us a call at 301-317-4250. For the St. Louis office, please call 314-797-5077. For more furniture design tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.