This article was originally published on Dec. 4, 2014, and is among Healthcare Design‘s Top 10 most-read articles of 2014. To see a full list, click here.
The patient room of today is a far cry from what was built just 50 years ago. But its evolution isn’t over—not even close. As the healthcare industry continues to change shape, so too must the space that arguably holds the most value to any hospital.
In this special report, Healthcare Design digs into the challenges pressing the need for patient room innovation, the solutions that have been brought to the table so far, and what’s emerging on the design horizon.
Click the links below to hear from industry experts on solutions to the evolving challenges tied to patient room design.
  • Stakes Are High For Patient Room Design: The patient room is home away from home and, increasingly, where all the action happens—providing countless reasons to makes sure the design is right. This in-depth look at the state of patient room design today is the first installment in Healthcare Design’s special report on the patient room.
  • Unit Design Is Secret To Successful Patient RoomThe effectiveness of any patient room design requires an equally effective unit design that supports efficient, functional, and safe operations and care delivery. Designers weigh in on best practices for inpatient unit design in this installment of Healthcare Design’s special report on the patient room.
  • Crystal Ball—Looking Into The Future Of Patient Room DesignSee a sneak peek of patient room projects on design boards today and details on how healthcare designers are reimagining this all-important space, the third installment in Healthcare Design‘s special report on the patient room. 
  • Calling For Backup In The Patient Room: Evidence-based design has shaped the modern patient room in a number of ways, but there are still plenty of places where designers would like to have more research available to support design decisions. Read how research might shape future designs in this installment of Healthcare Design‘s special report on the patient room.
  • What’s Next For Patient Room Design?NXT Health’s Patient Room 2020 prototype made waves through the healthcare design industry when launched last year. In this installment of Healthcare Design‘s special report on the patient room, NXT Health executive director Salley Whitman talks about the model and how the concepts proposed continue to evolve and push patient room design forward.