A recent Ambient Experience installation in Florida has broken new ground because it covers the whole of the hospital's dedicated children's emergency department.
Part of a recent extension to the Florida Hospital involved the creation of an emergency department specifically for children. Dedicated paediatric emergency facilities are something of a rarity, and this one is even more striking because it features an extensive Ambient Experience installation, specially conceived and implemented for this modern healthcare facility.
"The main challenge for us was to apply Ambient Experience in a space where there was no Philips imaging equipment like CT or MR," says Sachin Behere, Consultant, Ambient Experience Design at Philips Design. "We had never done that before. It was also the first time that we had dealt specifically with a paediatric department."
Out of the ordinary
The installation extends across the department entrance, waiting areas, the triage room where the seriousness of the patient's condition is assessed, the nurse station and eight emergency rooms where treatment is administered. It is even present in the corridor leading to the emergency department. "We installed a glow wall which consists of frosted glass panels backed by LEDs that slowly change colour," says George Marmaropoulos, Design Director for Ambient Experience in North America. "It is an early indication that you are entering somewhere out of the ordinary."
The waiting areas have also been specially equipped. "One of the walls outside the triage room is covered by a large LED display with a translucent honeycomb structure in front it," George continues. "This produces a series of abstract, pixelated images full of different colors and shapes. Its effect is calming - similar to sitting and watching the flames in a fireplace. And it's much more relaxing than having a TV, which can be irritating because of the noise it makes and can cause friction if people want to change channels."
Imagination light canvas
The main waiting area has another large illuminated wall, but this time it is interactive. Known as the Imagination Light Canvas, it is predominantly aimed at other children waiting while their brother or sister is being treated, and allows them to play various games such as painting with light. "You can create shapes simply by touching it with your finger," he adds. "It's like the Drag & Draw concept from the Simplicity Event, only you don't need to hold anything in your hand."
Designing elements like these was one of the main challenges of this project. In previous Ambient Experience installations - in examination rooms with diagnostic equipment - the emphasis is generally on allowing the environment to be personalized. "But that’s not possible in public areas such as corridors or waiting rooms," says George. "People arriving at an emergency department are often anxious and stressed," adds Sachin. "You wouldn't expect them to make choices about their surroundings. Our focus was therefore initially creating an overall sense of calm. That's why the glow wall is so simple; it works on a subconscious level without asking anything of anyone. It is only after the triage stage, when the children have been diagnosed and are ready to receive treatment, that you can then engage them with ideas of personalization."
Selecting a theme
This takes place when the child has been admitted to one of the emergency rooms. These are more like the 'traditional' Ambient Experience spaces, and are equipped with a proscribe tablet to allow the selection of a theme, which is then projected onto one of the walls, supported by colored lighting. An audio element is also incorporated into each of the themes, although as part of a new development it is possible for the children to listen to their own music from a portable device they plug into a wall socket. The emergency rooms are entered through a large sliding glass door, which can be changed from transparent to opaque at the flick of a switch to protect patient privacy.
Fast-track project
The design and realization of Ambient Experience at the Florida Hospital took place much quicker than normal. "This was a very fast-track project," says George. "By the time we were asked to participate, construction was already underway. They had already finished some of the ceiling work and wiring, so we had to move quickly. We spent a couple of days at the existing site, talking to staff and administrators as well as observing patients in the old children's emergency department. We didn't have the time for comprehensive analysis and research we would normally require, but the hospital administration trusted our expertise."
The new children's emergency department was declared open during an official ceremony in November. "It attracted a lot of attention, because you simply don't see this kind of approach to emergency departments very often," says George.. "Now it is up and running, we are carrying out an evaluation to gather feedback on what people are really pleased about and other kinds of things they would like to see."
Hands-on implementation
After designs were complete and incorporated into architectural plans and construction drawings, the North American Ambient Experience Team supervised the implementation from beginning to end. Billy Davis, Ambient Experience Project Specialist for the site, spent weeks overseeing installation of technology elements, testing of the interactive Light Canvas and making sure the design concepts were translated into working, real-world solutions.
A better place to work
"I spoke with the head of the department recently, and he said it is working well," says Sachin. "Patients and their families really appreciate it because it has a good feel about it and doesn't look like a conventional emergency department. The staff say it is a better place to work than the old emergency department. They are experiencing a clear improvement in the quality of their workspace."
For Sachin, the most important feature of the project was designing an entire experience flow, and not just the environment within an examination room. "We had to take so many different aspects into consideration, like the state of mind patients and their families are in when they enter the department, who they meet, where and for how long they have to wait, how to balance relaxation with positive distraction... Our success has been to put together a coherent set of solutions for each space."
"The fact that we can design Ambient Experience environments in which Philips equipment is not necessarily present proves the value that the Philips Ambient Experience team bring," adds George. "Now we are exploring further opportunities at other sites for designing an entire environment, whether that means a department or even a whole hospital."
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