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In this series, Medical design Ask leading healthcare design professionals, companies and owners to tell us what they care about and share some thoughts on the topic.
MacKenzie Kusler is a designer Shui On Construction + Engineering (Minneapolis). Here, she shared her thoughts on designing to achieve health and equity, and understanding the importance of site analysis, historical research and community environment before building the design.
- Understand the social determinants of health
Health equity is based on the idea that everyone can use the basic knowledge that supports active health, but the reality is that it is highly restricted by the social determinants of health (such as access to food and education, economic stability, and neighborhood environment). If the health outcomes are rooted in your place of residence, you must start designing health equity outside the medical institution and within the community. In order to understand patients before they set foot in the healthcare environment and design for them to determine their condition, designers need to evaluate the site, community, and historical background.
- Site assessment and historical analysis
Traditional building site analysis revolves around ground level queries, such as sun, shadow, and wind research. To begin to reflect and design sanitary equity, the site assessment must also include in-depth site analysis and historical research, which can clarify the basic facts of the site and how the site learns from or informs the surrounding environment. Findings may include a lack of investment in history, or the addition of racial restrictions in property contracts that deprive people of color of ownership. For example, an in-depth site analysis may reveal areas that lack public transportation investment. As a result, residents of the area cannot easily access medical services outside of the nearby communities. The proposed solution will be a site design that is easy for pedestrians to pass.
- Community background research
After you fully understand the site, you must understand how it connects with the entire community. This involves studying how the social determinants of health reflect and affect the health of people in the surrounding communities. For example, when mapping COVID-19 mortality rates, certain communities may be more susceptible to adverse health consequences, while blacks, aboriginals, and people of color have twice the mortality rate. In turn, it is important to reflect on the social determinants of health that are manifested by systemic factors such as housing and infrastructure policies, how these factors continue in the built environment, and the corresponding impact on health and resource access.[this addition pretty much repeats what she said in sentence above. I’d cut it]]In order to properly design health equity, the designer must have a deeper understanding of the affected individuals.
- Community Research Reflection
Design is usually seen as tangible, but it can also be based on relationships and system design. For example, research may indicate a high rate of obesity among local children, and potential solutions may be healthy food initiatives or nutrition education. This can not only support long-term health and wellness, but it can also evolve with the ever-changing community. This research can also guide site selection and development, space-informed design, and community construction.
- Facility design
In order to achieve health equity, the design must highly reflect the knowledge learned in site analysis, historical research, and community environment. If you fail to gain a broader understanding before establishing the design, you will lose opportunities for community contact and support. Buildings need to extend beyond the physical buildings and take into account the people and communities they live in.
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