We recently partnered with David Urling, a Designer at HKS, to integrate our best-selling product—the POD—into one of the family waiting rooms at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.
Here are 4 ways our POD is making a positive impact in healthcare spaces:
#1: Taking an innovative approach to waiting rooms.
Experts in the architecture of healthcare environments emphasize the importance of space design in influencing positive patient outcomes. For instance, Diana C. Anderson—a renowned architect, geriatrician, and assistant professor of neurology—argues that when it comes to healthcare facilities, “the built environment should be considered a medical intervention.”
By incorporating a solution like the POD study carrel into a healthcare space, facilities can show their patrons (and personnel) that they are going the extra mile to provide an intentional experience.
This thoughtful approach is transformative when designing healthcare facilities, where time spent can often be stressful, lengthy, and chaotic. Embracing this impactful design innovation signals to patients that they can expect a higher level of care and attention to detail from the facility.
#2: Nurturing a patient-centered environment.
The primary goal of any healthcare facility is to ensure patients feel safe, supported, and valued.
Actions speak louder than words, and investing in innovative furniture solutions like the POD demonstrates a strong, proactive commitment to meeting patients’ real needs.
The POD’s versatile design and premium construction make it the perfect solution to provide:
- A quiet, sheltered area patients can use to fill out medical forms.
- Space for professionals or students to work while waiting for their appointment.
- A private haven where people can seek solitude during stressful situations.
Research shows a tangible link between well-designed healthcare spaces and improved outcomes for both patients and staff. Patient-centered care involves providing an optimal experience for your patrons, not just during treatments, but from the moment they walk through the door. The POD plays a key role in making this possible.
#3: Encouraging natural social distancing.
Designing healthcare waiting rooms can be challenging:
They need to accommodate a large number of people, but their population at any given time may include a mix of ill and well individuals.
The last thing we want to do in a healthcare facility is force occupants to spend extended amounts of time in close proximity with one another, as this could easily encourage the spread of sickness.
With Agati PODs available, patrons can self-elect to seek space that’s partially separated from the main area of a waiting room. Whether patrons social distance in the POD intentionally or inadvertently, the increased personal space and barriers between individuals remain beneficial.
By providing private PODs, healthcare spaces can reassure patients that their health is a top priority.
(To easily sanitize this furniture type, we recommend choosing vinyl for the POD’s seat and back.)
#4: Supporting family and friends.
David Urling, Designer at HKS, told us, “The POD allows for a quiet respite and work area for family members to break away during long hospital visits to either relax in solitude or allows for ‘head-down’ focus to complete any office tasks. We’ve also seen it work conveniently for hospital staff to break away from their teams and focus on miscellaneous paperwork and scheduling.”
Often, the people who end up spending the most time in the public areas of healthcare facilities are loved ones who come to spend time with a patient.
They will sometimes spend several hours in waiting rooms, remaining in the space to support their family members or friends during long medical procedures, while waiting for test results, or during long hospital stays.
It’s important to make these visitors feel supported during their stay in the space—especially considering the stressful circumstances they may be going through. Agati PODs support these patrons by giving them a quiet and calm space to:
- Take a phone call
- Get some work done
- Have a moment to themselves
Plus, the pod seamlessly integrates technology into its design. Users can easily charge their devices using the built-in power on the desk surface, keeping their electronics fully-charged during long waits.
Consider customizing your installation by including some two-person POD Duos as well so visitors have a safe space to hold private conversations.
Healthcare spaces need to serve a wide variety of people—from patients to all their friends and family, and of course, the facility’s staff. The POD study carrel creates an ideal haven of privacy and peace amid the busyness of a healthcare environment.
