Prototype and Simulation Design for a Cancer Center of the Future

Wei Cheng Weng, RN., MS., Huey Wen Yien, MD., Ph D.X lab, YongLin Healthcare Foundation

Introduction

Since 1982, cancer (malignant) has been the major diseasesin the first of the ten leading causes of death in Taiwan.Seeing cancer patient population is on the increase and theinadequacy of the medical services provided in Taiwan,Terry Gou, the founder of YongLin Healthcare Foundation,donated a 500-bed cancer center (NTUCC) with a protontherapy center to National Taiwan University (NTU), inaddition to the cooperation in the biomedical engineeringand medical research of both parties. NTUCC is located onthe site of NTU sotherneast campus. Using NTU library asthe start point of new campus axis development, NTUCCwill form a new biomedical research axis in in the future.

Aim

NTUCC is aiming to become a world-class cancer centerwith the following objectives: to form a patient-orientedmedical environment; to enhance the overall quality ofmedical services by decreasing the workload of medicalstaffs; to encourage the communication and cooperationamong the medical staff and researchers. In order to do thehospital design better and innovative, new methods andtools were used in the project. .

Methods and Materials

Mini and Full Size MockupTo avoid the miscommunication, the facility users and thearchitects discussed and worked together in the mock-uproom to come out the best design scheme. By using themini mock-up(1:50), the facility users could get the overallview of the space and design concepts and help them tovisualize the operation processes and circulations. In thefull-size mockup(1:1), users knew more about theoutpatient department design and talk about the pros &cons with the design team. On the other hand, the full-sizemock-up provided the realistic space experience of thescale and size.

S.M.A.R.T Workshop

In traditional hospital design, the spaces in hospital buildfirst then users have to compromise or adjust their dailywork scenarios to fit the space. To change the currentsituation, user participation workshop is a method to knowmore about users’ needs. In the workshop, we focused onnot only space sizes but S.M.A.R.T(Service, Management,Architecture, Research and Technology)perspective. UnderS.M.A.R.T framework, all the issues in each departmentwere well considered by users, designers and architects.Meanwhile, the model of care in the future were alsodiscussed in the workshop.

Results

We found hospital design for most hospital staffs were newand unfamiliar, so prototype and simulation might be goodtools improving well considered in every respect. Sometools were good for flow research, but some were betterfor innovation(Fig). Moreover, the tools could eliminate thegap between different architects, medical staffs andadministrators etc.. According the feedback from users,they thought S.M.A.R.T workshop with mockup was alsogreat communication mechanism for hospital design. Afterthe workshop and simulation, research team modifiedoriginal configuration of in-hospital Main Street, namedCuiwei Life Street, created integrated information counterin main entrance and adopted multidisciplinary clinicsconcept. Detail design of lobby was also adjusted to meetemergency care and evacuation.

Conclusions

Through the use of diversified physical models in prototypetesting, end users and design teams are able to efficientlyand explicitly select appropriate solutions to specific designissues of the NTUCC. As operation plan is currently inprogress, performance evaluation of the hospital will beconducted in near future. It will be a great opportunity toknow the effects of the tools and process again.

(Left) Mini-mockup made by cardboard for the issues discussion.

(Right) Full-size mockup on the construction site.

Fig. Using different communication tools (2D, mini and full-size mockup) in different issues maximize the benefits in hospital design.

(Left) Emergency drill workshop for the patient flow.

(Right) Emergency drill workshop for the bed location and numbers.