The patient no longer exists
Patients are becoming increasingly demanding about the way in which they receive healthcare. Technological developments offer all kinds of new options, such as consultation via video calls, chatting online with the doctor, and viewing data online. However, not every patient has the same opportunities or needs. Every patient is different with respect to the frequency and type of contact that they want to have with their healthcare provider. In considering the construction of new premises, an academic hospital asked Vintura to help design the ‘outpatient clinic of the future’. The vision was for an outpatient clinic where every patient receives the care appropriate to their situation, without disrupting the efficiency of the hospital process.
Investigating possibilities together with the hospital
Together with a project team consisting of a doctor, specialised nurses and a PhD candidate, we started out by defining patient groups and their features in terms of things like disease burden, healthcare self-reliance, and communication skills. An investigation of around 400 patients resulted in the definition of four different segments. The implementation of the outpatient clinic of the future then got under way. In working groups, we determined which steps would need to be taken to actually deliver the healthcare of the future, ranging from communication with patients, to training healthcare providers and preparing the systems for far-reaching differentiation in the healthcare process.
Modern, CUSTOMIZED outpatient care
This categorization of the patient population gives the hospital the opportunity to satisfy patients’ wishes while still being able to plan efficiently. It enables doctors to respond effectively and provide the patient with the most ideal form of healthcare. This helps the patient to give their illness a place in their life, and supports them in having a positive experience of their condition. In addition, through this project the hospital will have a clearer view of the capacity and type of accommodations it requires in the new outpatient clinic, making it a modern outpatient clinic that is also prepared for developments that the hospital will face in the future.
