Outpatient care has been on the rise, causing a major shift in the healthcare delivery landscape. Customers are increasingly choosing the outpatient setting rather than an overnight stay in the hospital.
Why the shift?
There are many reasons this shift is occurring. With the increased availability and advancement of technology, many surgeries can now be performed in outpatient centers. Outpatient facilities provide easy access, high quality, lower cost care and are preferred by insurance payers.
The aging demographic plays a role as well. The number of Americans over the age of 65 is expected to double by 2060. As baby boomers age, so does the demand for medical services.
The push for value-based care has also fueled the outpatient trend. People are demanding more convenience and higher quality care.
What does this mean for medical facilities?
It’s time to start re-thinking how – and where – you deliver care. Outpatient centers can pose great opportunities, as the trend is predicted to rise. If you’re in the right location, have a facility that is able to deliver outpatient care and a good team, you’ve hit the trifecta!
The details
The requirements for an outpatient facility are of course largely dependent upon what types of services you provide. The Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) released its 2018 edition of Guidelines for Design and Construction of Outpatient Facilities earlier this year. It outlines exactly what you need in your outpatient medical office space. It includes everything from the requirement of procedure rooms having a clear floor area of 130 square feet, to acoustic considerations for privacy in telemedicine spaces.
The outtakes
If you’re looking to take advantage of this trend with a new outpatient facility, let us help. Medical office buildings are one of the main beneficiaries of this trend, and medical real estate is our bread and butter.