Cancer patients are a population with holistic care needs. They feel a loss of control, experience a reduced sense of well-being, undergo changes in appearance, and can suffer from short-term memory loss and depression. However, typical radiation oncology treatment spaces do not lend themselves to enhanced patient experience. Vaults must house large, high-tech equipment and are designed according to safety and shielding regulations, resulting in boxy layouts that do little to reduce stress or anxiety. What’s more, because these departments care for both adults and children, designing for the comfort of all patients and families is a delicate exercise.
In partnership with Atrium Health, E4H overcame these challenges, designing the Levine Cancer Institute Proton and Advanced Radiation Center (PARC) to inspire calm and comfort for all. Our collective goal was to create a healing environment not only through design but also enhancements at the point of care, bringing integrative oncology elements into radiation oncology along the way. To do so, we gathered experts from across the field of cancer care. In focus group meetings, frontline teammates provided input on design elements that could improve patient and staff experience, and the Patient Family Advisory Council joined a design session to provide feedback. The Professional Governance Council platform also served as a resource as we planned features and programs to enhance patient experience.
The result is an environment that has consistently outperformed patient experience score benchmarks since the PARC’s opening in December 2023. Inside, the lobby is bright and awash in inviting colors. Throughout the space sit privacy chairs for families, with laptop holders and charging outlets. Pediatric spaces are tailored specifically for children, with a playful, calming sky theme. Understanding the importance of allowing the patient’s support network to see and be seen throughout the treatment journey, we designed larger rooms for families where full patient intake can be completed, with monitors to review scans.
Symbiosis between the design and the facility’s point-of-care programs further enhances the patient experience. All original artwork in the center was created by cancer survivors, with plaques explaining their meaning. Patients are given the opportunity to pick a stone inscribed with an encouraging word to help them through treatment. The integrative oncology department also offers patients a menu of holistic treatments to choose from, including oncology massage, guided imagery meditation, therapeutic art, breath work, acupressure, psycho-oncology support, and spiritual care. And, with the ability to provide live music therapy to Gamma Knife and proton patients during their procedures, this facility is one of the first of its kind in the world, helping patients tolerate what can be a trying regimen of treatment.
Finally, no patient experience is complete without consideration for the staff who care for them. Thanks to creative collaboration between E4H and Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, the facility also includes an employee respite room. With the simple, low-cost solution of adding a wall to a previously unusable space, the team was able to provide staff with a place to step away, physically and emotionally recharge, and return refreshed to the work they love: caring for patients.
