It's all about people.
Though historically a hallmark of the manufacturing industry, Lean design principles have proven valuable across the continuum of design. In the healthcare field, employing a strategic, continuous learning cycle early in the design process can lead to manifold benefits – for example, improving culture, elevating communications, streamlining workflows and ultimately boosting patient and employee satisfaction.
Tecton worked closely with our client, a national provider of women’s health services, as they embarked on a new branding initiative for their regional health centers. In collaboration with Bergland & Cram, the project’s Process Architects, the team kicked off a week-long “3P” event, focusing on the People, Preparation and Process to generate full endorsement of a new clinical working model. This interactive approach focuses on designing the process first, then designing the layout to support it.
The team laid out five goals:
- Improve the patient experience
- Reduce the number of steps for patients
- Reduce the number of steps for the care team
- Improve patient flow
- Improve patient privacy
Hands-On Lean 3P Event
The shell of the organization’s future Manchester, Conn., health center provided the backdrop for this hands-on event, with participation and design be the people who will use the space on a daily basis. Over a dozen doctors, clinicians, senior management and Tecton’s design team participated in the event. By informed trial and error, with full-sized cardboard mock-ups of actual work areas, the team discovered how the space could be used most effectively and efficiently.
Consensus-Driven Design Standard
Through this collaborative, iterative process the clinical team reached consensus on the design plan and mapped out new possibilities for the future of their clinical operations. Tecton implemented the layout and design standards developed during this process in the first functional prototype clinic and subsequent locations across New England.
