How Data is Transforming the Design Process

In this month’s issue of Healthcare Design Magazine, PAYETTE’s Milly Baker explores the influence of ‘Big Data’ when designing healthcare facilities.

‘Big Data’ is defined as information produced through computer modeling as high volume and high velocity that’s used to analyze variability and complexity. The availability of big data today is influencing healthcare delivery, reimbursement rates and architectural design.

Understanding the goals a client has for improvement metrics can inform the design process. An institution may focus on improved patient satisfaction through decreasing the amount of time spent on non-value-added activities such as waiting.

Early project phases might include computer simulation models that test patient movement through the building. These models can tell architects how long it takes to park and walk to the facilities, and then how many greeters, kiosks or check-in staff are required to keep the wait time below the set goal. The availability of this data offers the ability to predict bottlenecks in the flow of patients through a given building configuration, and design changes can be made to optimize the time that any patient spends within the facility. Big data, including the use of virtual tools, BIM and research, is beginning to provide metrics to back up design intuition tied to these variables.

Read the full article.