Top 10 Of Healthcare Design In 2013, And Then Some

This time of year always inspires lists. From “best of” to “most popular” to “top trends,” they each offer a quick, fun read. But if you step back, I think lists provide that 30,000-foot view that we all need from time to time.

In this case, I decided to check out what Healthcare Design’s most-read articles and blogs were in 2013 (of content published this year) to help paint a picture of where, as an industry, we’ve been and where we’re heading.

In addition to the pieces of content that got the most pageviews overall, Megan Combs, our associate editor for reader engagement, dug into what posts had the most traffic coming from Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. It’s interesting to see the similarities—and differences—in what engaged readers on our site and from our e-newsletters as opposed to what was being clicked on and shared via social media.

As for that sky-high view, industry recognition was big this year, with our top traffic-getters in 2013 being coverage of the firms topping our 2013 Corporate Rankings lists as well as The HCD 10 list of the year’s biggest influencers. (It seems I'm not alone in liking lists.)

Digging deeper, the topic of designing for children’s hospitals captured a lot of attention, both in trend pieces as well as a feature story on what's certainly a notable project: Nemours Children's Hospital. We also saw readers drawn to articles covering common project cocnsiderations like sustainability, lighting, and providing access to nature.

And when it comes to social media, hot topics always take the cake. This year, plenty of traction was seen from blogs on bariatric design, hospitality trends, and the question of whether private patient rooms are a mistake.

I hope you enjoy perusing the lists below, but don't worry about covering everything at once. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be re-posting our most popular items—re-read a favorite or check out something you might have missed. And, certainly, tell us what your most notable moments of the year were and what you’d like to see us cover in 2014.

Top 10 most-read articles published in 2013

1. 2013 HCD Corporate Rankings: Top Architecture/Engineering Firms

2. The HCD 10: Meet the 2013 Winners

3. Hard Hat Tour: The Largest Healthcare Construction Project In The U.S.

4. Children’s Hospital Design Grows Up

5. What Child Life Specialists Can Teach Us About Designing For Kids (#1 in social media traffic)

6. PHOTO TOUR: The Mario Lemieux Center For Blood Cancers

7. Designing Access To Nature In Healthcare

8. Model Update: Nemours Children’s Hospital (another hit on social media)

9. Lighting Trends In Healthcare Design

10. The Cost Of Going (Or Not Going) Green

Social media favorites (excluding the above)