Patient experience was among the top trend in 2019, and while it is thriving, other trends are on their way out. "We have spent quite a lot of time streamlining operational processes to maximize efficiency," says Frazier. "For example, historically, the first person in an Emergency Department to greet you was a clerical receptionist. That evolved into a clinical receptionist who could start triaging faster, thereby creating a quicker throughput process. Now, self-admitting kiosks have been trending, eliminating the need for a human being to initially greet you and thereby maximizing efficiency even further. As these were implemented, though, there were a couple of side effects: some elderly patients had difficulty with the technology, and others felt depersonalized. I believe there is a need to get back to our roots in terms of caring for people, and to find a way that automation and true hospitality and bedside manner coincide without extinguishing either."

Frazier is working closely with clients in anticipation of these trends and preparing clients to create spaces that will be relevant upon completion. "We keep the discussions of designing a space fluid, not only considering the current need, but what it may become in the future," she says. "The spaces serve more than one purpose to be fully utilized. VR technology is now used as a standard during design sessions to truly envision what a space will be like. We also conduct workshops with all stakeholders to identify what risks there may be to a facility, what the likelihood and consequences of these risks are, and the strategies we may use to combat them."