In healthcare, it’s no secret that outpatient care is beginning to outpace inpatient care. More than 70% of states surveyed by firm Kaufman Hall showed a decrease of more than 5% in inpatient care over a 10-year period. The Annual Business and Technology Forecast from
sg2 anticipates a decrease of more than 2% in inpatient care, but an increase of more than 30% for outpatient care by 2020.
The Shift from Centralized to Community Care
As the need and desire for more ambulatory care has continued to rise, hospitals have moved away from a “central hospital” model and focused on a community, system-based model. This shift poses both opportunities and challenges when it comes to space needs.A Look to Retail for Inspiration
Much like retail shifted in many communities from centralized indoor malls to smaller, neighborhood-based shopping center over the years, hospitals and clinics have the opportunity to do the same. The community-based approach requires more locations with smaller footprints vs. behemoth hospitals. But because these locations are designed for outpatient care, space usually reserved for inpatient stays is no longer required. Yes, larger clinics, surgery centers, and hospitals will still need some room for overnight patients, but the neighborhood locations do not.