Developing Design Recommendations for VA Outpatient Spaces from Professional and Veteran Perspectives
Client
United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA Center for Innovation)
Faculty
Regina Gurvich
Team
John Amory, Kevin Frodell, Raul Gomez, Helena Hernandez, Shevon McCalman, Josephine Porco, Joanna Wexler, Max Zeiger
| The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides patient care and federal benefits to veterans and is currently seeking to improve the patient experience and utilization of its mental health facilities. The VA’s Center for Innovation, an arm created to develop and evaluate innovative care improvement methods for veterans, enlisted a Capstone team to assess the relationship between outpatient space design and patient experience. Additionally, the VA tasked the team to develop expert and veteran-based recommendations for outpatient spaces in its mental health facilities. The team completed a literature review to ascertain needs of the veteran population, outcomes-based practices, and recommendations in the held. The team also interviewed VA clinicians and professionals to gain firsthand knowledge of the relationship between the safety, aesthetics, and acoustics of outpatient spaces and mental health outcomes. To garner veteran input, the team conducted a series of focus groups and interviews with former service members to understand their concerns and needs better. The team also surveyed veterans to quantify their priorities and opinions surrounding how space design impacts care. The team provided an evidence-based report to the VA that recommends the incorporation of patient safety, natural light and greenery, conscientious artwork, and soothing sounds in future design plans. |
Focus Areas
Capstone Year
2017-2018