A visit to the doctor is a scary occasion for many people. Hospitals and clinics are almost always painted in white to convey cleanliness and efficiency. Add to that the prospect of being subjected to diagnostic tests using machines and needles. Truly, medical facilities are the most unwelcoming of places. This is probably the reason why diagnostic centers and clinics are reinventing themselves to make them more appealing to the patients. On the other hand, traditionally non-medical institutions like wellness centers and spas are also trying to gain credibility in an era where consumers are more health savvy and demand more scientific-based health services.
Reinventing the names
Many diagnostic centers have coined their facilities’ official name to include the term “wellness.” Wellness is a word associated by many with alternative medicine and spas conjures pictures of well-being and relaxation. The Diagnostic & Wellness Center for Women of Pacific Medical Center (PacMed), the Diagnostic and Wellness Center at Harbor-UCLA, and the Women’s Diagnostic and Wellness Center of Coral Springs Medical Center in Florida are examples of this trend. Even the renowned Cleveland Clinic has its Florida Health and Wellness Center. One would seldom associate these names with mammography or calcium scans. Spas on the other hand, have adopted the term “medical spas” or medispas” to emphasize the medical and health benefits of their services. In the same way, alternative medicine is trying to keep up with technology. Whereas traditional acupuncture uses manual stimulation, acupuncture centers use new technology for stimulation, from electrical impulses and lasers to moxibustion and heat.
Reinventing the environment
Many clinics are redesigning their facilities to make them less sterile and more relaxing. PacMed’s Diagnostic & Wellness Center for Women in Seattle describes its setting as “spa-like”, with interior decor in warm, soothing colors and furniture and fixtures one wouldn’t normally find in a normal clinic setting. “The soothing, warm hues of the decor and custom-made, heated robes are a few touches that aim to put anxious patients at ease,” according to their October 2007 press release. However, despite the spa-like atmosphere, this unique wellness center has all the state-of-the-art medical and diagnostic equipment as well as top notch medical staff necessary to perform diagnostic tests. “Our goal is to change the healthcare experience for the better and encourage people to take a proactive approach to wellness”, according to a PacMed Center spokesperson. The Women’s Diagnostic & Wellness Center at Coral Springs Medical Center in Coral Springs Florida calls its setting “home-like” to do away with the impersonal atmosphere that is associated with many diagnostic centers. Read more …
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