Perceptions, unfair or not, can drive a patient’s choice of healthcare provider, but some key factors in that decision are extremely difficult to manage.

Stained carpeting. Damaged furniture. Unpleasant odors. Do these conditions necessarily correlate with the quality of care at a hospital? Perhaps not, but studies show that patients and visitors may perceive that they do.

Hospitals spend billions of dollars monthly on construction and renovations—and not just to meet increasing demands for services and functions.  A major factor taken under consideration when planning for such capital expenditure is the development of an aesthetically pleasing environment. Conditions of a medical facility’s space—such as look, age, and cleanliness—greatly impact perceptions and, thus, influence choices made by consumers and workers when choosing a hospital.

The importance of a positive impression goes beyond simply attracting patients and staff, though; it impacts bottom lines in other ways. For instance, in recent years, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey scores have had an increased effect on reimbursements from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

While new construction and renovations can go a long way in improving hospital aesthetics, another extremely important component is the ongoing management of environmental conditions. Unfortunately, such conditions are typically difficult to manage. Healthcare organizations may have clear methods to track the condition of clinical assets, but they often lack efficient means to monitor non-clinical assets and other conditions not tracked through hospital work order systems.

In working with a number of leading health systems, ATG developed a solution for organizations to maintain the types of high aesthetic standards that increase revenues and improve reputations. Space Condition Manager™ allows hospital administrators to be more proactive in maintaining a pleasing environment through proven processes combined with innovative cloud technology.

The solution helps organizations:

• Identify and categorize the status of items and spaces that may be in disrepair or poor condition
• Reduce inspection times using interactive floor layouts through ATG’s mobile app
• Automatically notify appropriate teams when repairs or replacements are needed
• Monitor issues through up-to-the-minute, color-coded tracking and condition reports

Space Condition Manager complements existing maintenance management systems by focusing on the conditions of spaces and miscellaneous assets that have a favorable impact on patient perceptions. By proactively addressing these types of conditions, healthcare organizations can project an exceptional image that improves patient experience and, thus, the bottom line. ■

If you’d like more information on how you can manage your environmental conditions more effectively, call us at 800.804.8442 or request a copy of our free guide on the subject using the form below.