Martini Hospital has once again the lowest mortality figures in The Netherlands
Hospitals in The Netherlands have an obligation to publish their mortality ratio according to the British HSMR-method (Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio). This method calculates a figure which expresses whether more or less people have deceased than expected based on the type of the patients.
The HSMR is commonly seen as the most reliable indication for the quality of the care in a hospital.
The Martini hospital has a ratio of 62 which is quite low when compared to the Dutch national average of 100.
With this result, the Martini Hospital has achieved the lowest mortality ratio in The Netherlands for 4 years in a row.
One could ask the question as to what extent the healing environment of the hospital building plays a role in achieving this low ratio?
Hendrik Jan Koppelman, Gelre Hospital: “Pioneers of a new innovative concept”
In October 2010 Gelre Hospital in Zutphen, The Netherlands, opened a new, modern building. Hendrik Jan Koppelman, healthcare manager, speaks enthusiastically about a new and innovative implemented logistics concept that enables patients to register themselves using the self-service check-in stations in the entrance hall.
“Gelre Hospital in Zutphen is the first Dutch hospital where this is possible. A patient with an appointment registers himself with an ID card, passport or driver’s license. If it is the patient’s first visit, he or she is directed to the helpdesk.
After registration the patient receives a ticket with a unique barcode. This ticket contains information on all the events taking place that day.”
Information panels
Hendrik- Jan Koppelman: “On the information panels in the entrance hall patients can see what the waiting times are. They stay in the entrance hall, where they can visit the restaurant and various shops. This is more comfortable and entertaining than waiting in a small waiting area.
Ten minutes before the start of the appointment the patient is directed to the right outpatient department.“
Building design
Hendrik-Jan Koppelman: “By introducing this system less waiting space is needed at the outpatient department. In the design of the hospital the optimal use of square meters was of great importance. This is a totally new logistics concept; which is much more effective.”
Experience of the patients
Koppelman: “Six months after this project was implemented, the Marketing Department of the hospital asked 600 patients what they thought of new logistics concept.70% responded very positively.”
People who prefer to register with a person, can also be served by hostesses behind the desk.
In the past three years Hendrik- Jan Koppelman has received representatives from 35 hospitals and was invited to many conferences to talk about this new concept. “People are curious about this. The building design of our hospital allows us to use the system to its full extent. Other hospitals, like Haga Ziekenhuis and Isala hospital use some components of this innovation.”
What are the benefits for the hospital?
Hendrik- Jan Koppelman says there are many benefits. “For the patient it is convenient that he or she only has to register once during the day. There is also more peace and quiet in the outpatient departments, since the patients stay in the entrance hall. Furthermore, thanks to the system the hospital can reduce the number of staff members behind the reception desks in the outpatient clinics.”
Dutch Hospital Design at Hospital Build Turkey Congress 2013
Dutch Hospital Design was invited to speak at the Hospital Build Turkey Congress on the 25th of October 2013 in Istanbul.
Architect Arnold Burger has spoken about Dutch approaches towards a healing environment and ultimate flexibility leading to different European hospital designs.
For more information visit the Hospital Build Turkey website.
Dutch Hospital Design at CleanMed Europe 2013 conference
Dutch Hospital Design presented at the CleanMed Europe 2013 conference on the 17th of September 2013 in Oxford.
Architect Arnold Burger spoke about best practices in hospital design in The Netherlands.
For more information visit the CleanMed Europe 2013 website.
Vivaldi Nursing Home
A shift from nursing to living
The main challenge for the design of the new nursing home was to make it suitable for the uncertainty of future needs. The Vierstroom as client was still feeling the impact of writing off the existing building after 25 years. Due to it’s layout it could not be modified to comply with the current requirements and therefore had to be demolished to make way for a more flexible building.
Through a thorough analysis we realized that not the quality of nursing but the quality of living was the most important factor to achieve the best change of use for a building with an economic lifespan of 40 years or longer.
The layout of the building and it’s structure includes the possibility to change every wing of the building from nursing into caring. In this way it can be gradually adapted to future needs of care. But even when nursing in the future completely differs to nursing now the building can be easily transformed in a residential building.
The single corridor in the nursing wings not only gives the building great (future) value but also a very pleasant ambient experience in it’s current state. A lot of natural light enters the corridor which are usually dark and closed in traditional nursing homes. Now a passage through the corridor with windows on different heights and of different sizes gives a variety of views into the gardens. Moving through the building is therefore never dull for both inhabitants and staff.
The layout of the appartments, which are set up in groups of 8 elderly people, offers the opportunity to organize nursing like a hotel. Four groups can be mixed so that people with the same way of living can find each other. The positioning of the living rooms support this freedom of living and making choices. In both current and future situations and bearing more individual people in mind this might be a very important issue.
The nursing home is situated on an island surrounded by water creating an urban quality most people want to live in The extraordinary gardens, the water, the entrance and the unique plaza, the architectural detailing in terms of shape and used materials make the building very accessible for residents and visitors, and ensure that the residents, despite the fact that they are living on an island, keep regular contact with the direct vicinity.
The movie below (Dutch) shows the nursing home in use.
Disciplines
Visit of 9p. Singapore MOH delegation in Alkmaar and at Martini Hospital Groningen
On September 11th 2013 Dutch Hospital Design hosted a delegation from Singapore representing the Ministry of Health Holdings and SingHealth.
They were interested in the specific design approach of Dutch hospital Design particularly the issues concerning logistics, IT and flexibility. The delegation visited our office in Alkmaar and also the Martini Hospital in Groningen.
Why Dutch?
Developing a new healthcare facility is not an occasion that arises frequently for most people. If you get this extraordinary challenge you want to build the best possible facility. But what is the best? ‘The best’ involves finance, safety, flexibility, efficiency, usability, sustainability, patient friendliness or perhaps rather the perfect balance between all these aspects.
Maybe because of their specific international trading history the Dutch have proven to be able to balance all aspects, constantly searching for the best value for money. Regarding healthcare facilities the Dutch are famous for their ability to create high-end facilities that are well functioning, comfortable to stay in and within one of the lowest budgets in Western European countries. And last but not least the architecture of the buildings are worth to see as Dutch Design.
But not only the facilities perform well. The entire Dutch healthcare system is an example to many countries. For instance the research on the rate of infections (source: EFSA 2010) illustrates this. Despite the fact that the “flying Dutchmen” tend to travel abroad a lot and the country has one of the highest densities of population in the world, the rate of infections are very low. Also the cost of Dutch healthcare, in relation to its results, is relatively low (source: NVZ, 2012).
It is too simple to say that all answers to the question “Why Dutch?” have been mentioned here. There are far more reasons to add to that. The people below tell you more about their experience with Dutch Hospital Design from different point of views. If you are interested what the Dutch can contribute to your healthcare project please contact us to tell you more.
Dutch Hospital Design at MEDICARE TAIWAN 2013
Dutch Hospital Design exhibited itself for the first time at the international MEDICARE TAIWAN 2013 exhibition. This yearly exhibition is meant for businesses offering products and services related to the medical industry. Dutch Hospital Design presented itself in the form of poster at the Holland stand which promotes Dutch businesses abroad.
For more information about the exhibition you can visit their website by clicking this link.
This link is for Netherlands Trade and Investment Office website in Taiwan.
Rehabilitation Centre DE HOOGSTRAAT
Tailor made design
From the entrance hall a semi-transparent door leads to the orthopaedic and rehabilitation engineering center. A lime green floor is the connecting element between all areas in the center. The entire layout and design breath the focus on the patient. Here, orthoses, prostheses and wheelchairs are measured, fitted and provided to people. Every element is tailor made. This means fitting, measuring, making casts and moulds, coating and of course
practising. For these precarious proceedings customers have to feel at ease, hence the department is furnished as transparent and clean as possible.
Technical Heart
With these machines and technical devices in the epicentre of the department, the staff shaping technical wonders for people with minimal hand function and creating almost futuristic artificial legs with electric motors kicking themselves forward. Here, lifelike prostheses are made. Previously, these work spaces were situated in tight, low areas with a chronic lack of daylight. Now the light flows in from all sides, the wide windows overlook the greenery and skylight from the roof makes sure the workshops and
corridors are covered in daylight.
Sustainabilityy
Sustainability was one of the starting points for the design. Therefore floor heating and cooling ceilings are applied via Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) combined
with heat pumps, using heat recovery systems and for example energy efficient lighting fixtures.