Creating impact in healthcare design: Assessment through design evaluation

Abstract

AEDET Evolution (the Achieving Excellent Design Evaluation Toolkit) enables its users to undertake a design evaluation through the creation of a design evaluation profile. The Centre for Healthcare Design, its developers in the UK, recommends that healthcare design can be evaluated under three basic headings: Functionality, Excellence and Impact. The staff and patient environment of a healthcare facility can have a significant part to play in creating ‘Impact’.In the UK, there is currently a major investment programme, which represents the largest ever building programme of the National Health Service. This programme represents an opportunity to raise the quality of healthcare design. This paper is concerned with an evaluation of one element – improvements in the quality of healthcare facilities through the impact of appropriate facilities in the staff and patient environment .

Keywords: Design evaluation, healthcare design, healthcare investment, quality