In case you missed the news this week, here’s a synopsis:  there’s been an early start to the flu season, the Royals are pregnant, a budget standoff continues in Washington, and the Pope is tweeting.

The budget standoff in Washington has temporarily diverted attention away from health reform. But expect the debate over a government-sponsored health insurance program to begin again soon.

Besides access to affordable care through insurance, the other primary goals of health reform are to increase quality and lower costs. Almost every provision in the Affordable Care Act has an impact on where care is delivered.

The shift from an illness-based model to a wellness-based model means we’re going to need spaces that support the technology and interface to effectively interact and communicate with patients — in the hospital, clinic, doctor’s office, and at home. There are many implications for design.

I have some ideas on what those implications are going to be and am planning to include them in a new book I’m editing, but would love to hear your thoughts.  Comment on this post down below or send me an email on what you think health reform’s impact on facility design and construction will be.

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