In many parts of the world the health care sector is being modernised. Health care is a rapidly evolving arena providing new opportunities to improve existing treatment options and develop entirely new ones.

Politicians are putting pressure on hospitals to increase the quality of their services – and the patients are too.

Not an assembly line

"Our buildings must provide logistical support for both the patient and the staff as they move through the hospital system. This requires, among others, a very well planned infrastructure, a decent amount of space – and as much natural daylight as possible. A hospital is a production company that must function optimally 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – and now that people have the freedom to choose which hospital they want to use, they will no longer accept being treated like objects on an assembly line," explains Pernille Weiss Terkildsen, a Senior Consultant at COWI.

From construction to operation

Medico-technological developments can also present challenges because both the examination and treatment equipment can become outdated before the building is even completed.

Electronic records may place greater demands on technical installations, but they also offer an excellent opportunity to improve existing work routines.

Quality control

Accreditation - a form of quality control based on accepted standards - will also present a challenge for hospitals in the future – putting both patient safety and patient procedures under the microscope.

All of these things make demands on hospital administrators' ability to adhere to a tight budget. Where costs are concerned, this development means that hospital owners will begin to focus more on operations than on construction – and they will be open to alternative types of partnerships and financing.

Health care sector experience

COWI is able to formulate drafts and conduct analyses in all relevant areas. Our consultants are former employees of the central state health care authorities, county health care departments and hospitals.
 
By Jette Westerdahl
Published: 27.06.2005