After several years of needing to react to the pandemic, medical design in Australia is reaching new levels of positive, proactive design. Medical design and fit-out company Evoke Projects looks at the trends for 2024.
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we don’t know what is around the corner. Flexible and multi-disciplinary spaces, adaptable treatment rooms, modular medical furniture and moveable partitions are the most requested changes during a new, modern healthcare fit-out. This trend will certainly continue for 2024.
Think day spa, not hospital. The aim is for patients to regard healthcare appointments with the same mindset as a beauty treatment or massage/hair appointment. This means adding more homely touches, embracing resimercial interior design and improving patient comfort. A positive patient experience is good for both patient well-being and medical centre profitability.
To back this trend up, we will see medical designs utilising colours that are less clinical and more homely. In 2024, the Dulux colour forecast palettes are Solstice, Muse and Journey.
• Solstice is influenced by Scandinavian design, Mediterranean and desert landscapes. The warm colours with cooler accents are soothing, nurturing and joyful. Tactile décor such as braided textiles and primitive sculptural forms add sensory delight to this theme.
• Muse has a strong ‘70s influence with modern twists. It is colourful with warm browns, cool blues and timeless greens. Fun and relaxed, Muse works well with velvet upholstery, chrome detailing, dramatic décor and glossy surfaces.
• Journey celebrates global influences with an eclectic palette of rich reds and plums, yellow-greens and mid-tone blues. Paired with furniture and fabrics that are heavily patterned and textured, the Journey palette honours memories and traditions. Modern meets past with sustainable décor and recycled items.
Link to https://www.dulux.com.au/colour/colour-trends/2024/
Most practices still require patients to visit reception to book follow-up appointments and pay for the consultation or treatment. This interaction can involve disclosing personal health or finance details. Consider adding more privacy for this stage of a patient’s visit during your next healthcare fit-out or refurbishment.
Using technology to create smarter practices and a better patient experience is nothing new. With so much technology on offer, the trend for greater analysis and discernment is what turns smart into really smart. Patient flow and task analysis, proper trials and customisation will ensure that technology succeeds in improving healthcare efficiency, telehealth consultations, staff collaboration and communication.
Healthcare practices are becoming more inclusive and accessible to assist in catering for people of different ages, gender, abilities and ethnicity. Medical fit-outs are focused on better wayfinding, ergonomics, gender-neutral facilities and a mix of spaces for different clinical tasks. Evoke’s medical designers are experts in incorporating diversity seamlessly into the healthcare fit-out so that people feel equal, not different.
As medical practices undertake new healthcare fit-outs and refurbishments, they are installing natural materials and textures to reduce the likelihood of infection. Antimicrobial coatings can be applied to some surfaces. Bamboo and copper are both hygienic and environmentally friendly. Bamboo contains a natural antimicrobial agent called bamboo kun.
EAPs are defined as work-based intervention programs designed to enhance the emotional, mental and general psychological well-being of all employees. Many healthcare companies have EAPs. Most staff do not use them or even know about them. With so much focus on mental health in the workplace, companies are brushing the dust off the EAP and revisiting its relevance to staff today. The trend is for greater personalisation, better communication and leadership training to encourage proactive use of EAPs. Visit the EAPAA website for a list of members who can help you design an EAP for your healthcare practice.
Link to https://www.eapaa.org.au/
In 2024, medical design will look to integrate natural and sustainable elements within the healthcare fit-out. Much has been written about sustainable healthcare design and biophilia over the past few years. They are not new and arguably not trends. However, we are seeing a more holistic approach to both concepts, unleashing the synergy of blending eco-friendly choices with nature.
As an example, improving air quality with an inefficient air filtration system that chews through electricity is not a sustainable solution. Instead, fresh air, reducing chemicals in furniture/cleaning products, cleaning air vents, replacing filters, and adding spider/rubber/cane plants are both sustainable and biophilic choices.
Healthy buildings nurture the well-being of people who work in them. They also support the planet.
To discuss a new medical fit-out for 2024, please call Evoke Projects on 1300 720 692.
