The speakers were amazing on day 1 of the UIA/PHG Healthcare Forum. I’ve learned so much from the packed day of speakers discussing what’s happening around the world.

Highlights of my day included:

• my tour of the new Bridgepoint Hospital
• realizing how lucky I am to be in a country that has a public healthcare system
• explaining to a man from Paris that Canada and the United States were at war in 1812 (and we won)
• meeting amazing thinkers doing needed research like measuring the effects of sound on autistic children.

But the day left me with a number of questions that I’m not sure there are answers to. I’ve listed them below in no particular order:

• Can Hospital design planning, which takes place over 5-10 years keep up with rapid changes in trends of care & technology?
• How do you institute change across an entire healthcare system? Does it change in first vs. third world countries?
• How do first world designers bring in third world local groups to participate in & develop the design for their culture?
• How long do you survey or monitor a hospital before & after the renovation?
• Is portable medical outreach feasible with the rising costs of fuel?
• with E-documentation how do you manage misdiagnosis with insurance & medications?
• How do we account for patients as we close hospitals? Do we get a sudden influx into new facilities?
• How do we prepare architecturally for new types of infectious diseases?
• In subsidized healthcare how do you prevent ‘entitlement’ mentality and encourage self-care responsibility among citizens?
• Is there a correlation between a lack of vacation time and healthcare spending on chronic illness?
• How long after a major renovation does the master planning process start all over again?

Some of these questions may be answered over the next two days, but I’m expecting other questions to surface. Stay Tuned for Day 2.

Bridgepoint Active Health Centre Therapy Pool

What do you think?

What questions do you have about the your healthcare system?