Redesign Your Recovery Rooms for Patient Comfort
Posted by HJT Design
The dental community knows that your patients are the lifeline of your practice. So, take a moment and ask yourself, “How well does your patient recovery room serve the needs of your patients?” Do you even have a patient recovery room for your patients to rest up in after a major surgery or procedure? Do you realize how important a well-designed patient recovery room is to the success of your dental practice? If you don’t have any recovery rooms presently, or if you’re thinking that your existing space just isn’t working well, here are a few reasons why you should have a patient recovery room designed for your patients’ comfort and peace of mind.
Patient Recovery Rooms are Essential Aspects of Complete Dental Services
If you provide sedation dentistry at your office, you know that your patients are not immediately ready to get up and leave once their procedure is finished. They are often groggy, tired and unstable; not able to drive or walk out of the office on their own. A patient recovery room gives those patients a safe, comfortable place to rest and recovery so they can leave your office in sound mind and body. Recovery rooms also provide your dental team a proper place to monitor your patients post procedure to ensure that they are stable and recovering as expected.
Patient Recovery Rooms Allow Your Patients to Recover in Peace
After a major procedure, your patients may feel out of sorts and uncomfortable. They may feel unsure of where they are and filled with anxiety due to the procedure itself and the effects of the numbing medication. Having a dedicated place where they can recover privately, away from the noise and chaos surrounding them in the rest of the facility, can give them peace and allow them to recover at their own pace without embarrassment.
The recovery process immediately following a dental procedure can sometimes be a complex period of time. However, that process can go much smoother with the addition of simple outside factors including: quiet music, warming blankets, peaceful artwork or scenic views outside, and dim lighting. Simple touches like these can make a significant difference in your patients’ recovery time.
Patient Recovery Rooms Can Optimize the Quality of a Patient’s Recovery
Dedicated dental recovery rooms can more fully help patients with their recovery process. Properly designed recovery rooms provide dental hygienists and dentists enough space to move around and observe patients without tripping over equipment, cords or other staff members. This room allows dental providers with space needed for proper post-op care. These spaces also provide adequate seating for family members or loved ones to accompany patients while they are coming out of their anesthesia or other pain-blocking medications. Having loved ones present helps to minimize patient anxiety and provides additional support as needed. Parents, spouses or other family members who are present during recovery can answer important health related questions, offer personal love and comfort, and receive other crucial medical information from the dentist about the post-procedure recovery process. Many dental operating rooms or treatment rooms do not the adequate space necessary for additional family members to sit.
There’s another reason that patient recovery rooms are so important to a patient’s recovery process. The length of time it takes to wake up, feel stable, and ready to go home after a major dental procedure can vary based on the patient and his/her individual reaction to the medication. Dentists have pre-determined schedules and must continue to care for other patients in a timely manner. Having adequate numbers of patient recovery rooms can allow patients the sufficient time needed to recovery before heading home AND dentists the ability to stay on schedule and work with ease and time efficiency. These rooms are a win-win for everybody!
Are you considering different options for your upcoming dental office redesign? Don’t forget about adding or updating patient recovery rooms to your list of renovation possibilities. HJT Dental Design Consultants can help with the whole process from start to finish. Contact us today to learn more.