Presentation Patient Room of the Future (01-07-2010)

A unique and motivated consortium of users, education and knowledge offices, manufacturers and professional organisations have collected power, knowledge and experience and have developed something called 'PRoF' - which stands for 'Patient Room of the Future' - a complete new concept of a patient room. A concept where the patient is in the central figure and a lot of attention is paid to care environment int. al. by focussing on comfort and domesticity.

Imagine that you can choose when the lights are put out or a curtain opens, your visit can take a rest on the terrace, a small light prevents that you will fall,... This scenario is feasible with the existing technologies and discovers just a small piece of the possibilities of this patient room. The official opening of this 'Patient Room of the Future' is today at Boone International in Poperinge during a big event with Mme Windels, woman of the European President Van Rompuy.

The 'Patient room of the Future' is the result of an intensive research into the needs and demands of the medical world. The medical world is in the frame of a hospitalization every time more confronted with the specific questions of patients, visitors and colleagues. Patients would like to have more privacy, autonomy and more choice; visitors would like to have more possibilities to assist the patient and an infrastructure that allows them to stay in the neighbourhood of the patient. The medical staff is confronted with more patients, a shorter hospitalization period, an increased rendability and efficiency. That is why there is looked for an innovated and all-inclusive concept that gives an answer to these questions. PRoF responds to these questions by focussing on the patient and his environment, with durability, functionality, usability and a modern design, en this by following the European, national and regional norms. This Flemish project has European ambitions: the unique interaction of more than 30 partners around the table assembles all possible expertise, techniques and professionalism that are needed for the development of this room.

Jan Van Hecke (Boone International), coordinator of PRoF, gives more explanation about the composition of the PRoF-consortium and the way of working: "The consortium collects members that are complementary and that are continuously busy with innovation. This project is a typical example of 'Open innovation'. The goal of PRoF is to launch every year an innovative, but achievable project. It is our ambition to develop a prototype of a Room of the Resting home' by end of this year. It uses always prototyping that can be used as research and innovation goals."

Valerie Dhaeze(Cubist Creations) was together with architectural offices BURO II & ARCHI+I | Interior Design and Boeckx & Architecture & Engineering responsible for the development of the Patient Room of the Future. "By its conceptual design, the Patient Room of the Future fulfils the needs and demands of the patient and of the medical staff. The integration of the most innovative tools and innovations makes the project ambitious, totally innovative for the hospital sector."

Jan Van Hecke: “The Patient Room of the Future is promoted. As promotion of the project, a movie is developed, that can be used for seminaries, research, contacts with government institutions, etc."

This first generation room is starting from what is achievable with the technology of today. Simultaneously the ambition is going further: the 'Patient Room of the Future' is an exclusive concept and is constantly adjusted.

For more information: www.prof-projects.com