Economic Impact
While free healthcare for all is a laudable goal, there are many challenges affecting the economic sustainability of this ideal. Healthcare is largely reactive and treatment is often sought late in the development of an illness or complaint.
The treatment of patients in large hospitals raises many widely publicised issues including infection, error and patient safety. Research indicates that in up to 10 per cent of all hospital admissions, some kind of adverse incident occurs, more than half of which are believed to be preventable (Vincent C, Neale G, Woloshynowych M, 2001). The effect on staff and the £2billion+ consequential costs further increase the need to improve all aspects of patient safety (DOH, 2000). Healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) represent a huge financial as well as human cost; an infection can add three to ten days to a patient’s stay and cost between £4,000 to £10,000 (Plowman, Rosalind et al,1999).
Design has a clear role to play within hospitals and appropriately designed environments and equipment can improve efficiency of healthcare processes and ultimately recovery.
Preventative healthcare may not only ease the burden on hospitals but may be the only way to deal with the growing problems facing the NHS. The campaigns against smoking are well publicised* and a similar approach to promote active lifestyles and early diagnosis could be the best means of tackling the unsustainable economics of issues, such as obesity** and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Design has a pivotal function within this preventative approach. This is an area with huge potential economic benefits, moving the structure and focus of the healthcare system into the 21st century.
* The number of people in the UK who smoke is less than it used to be. At the end of the 1990s 27 per cent of people in the UK smoked. Latest figures show that the number has fallen to 22 per cent in recent years.
** The rising levels of obesity place an enormous financial burden on the economy. The cost of overweight and obesity in England may run to £6.6-7.4 billion per year according to recent estimates. (Department of Health (2005). Choosing activity: A physical activity action plan. London: DH).
Sources
(Vincent C, Neale G, Woloshynowych M, 2001) Adverse events in British hospitals: preliminary retrospective record review. British Medical Journal 322:517-519
(DoH, 2000) Department of Health An organisation with a memory: Report of an expert group on learning from adverse events in the NHS chaired by the Chief Medical Officer. The Stationery Office: London
(Plowman, Rosalind et al,1999) The socio-economic burden of hospital acquired infection