From Bench to Bedside: Exploring the Impact of Space Design on Multidisciplinary Collaboration

Dr. Anderson co-leads a round table session discussing the impact of space design on multidisciplinary collaboration between scientists and clinicians.

Session Description:

Diana Anderson, M.D., MRAIC, LEED AP, Resident Physician, Department of Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital – Columbia University Medical Center; Thomas Postler, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Research Scientist, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center.

It has been documented that 80% of scientific breakthroughs occur outside the laboratory environment in social settings. Take an inside look at the research and clinical environments through the eyes of a scientist and a physician working on the same academic healthcare campus and understand the interface between the two, a true bench to bedside approach. Discuss the unique features of collaboration in the research setting and subsequent application to clinical treatment. The types of interactions that occur in the research and clinical environments will be shared , and subsequently translated into a discussion of the built environment’s impact on collaboration.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the impact of an interdisciplinary research approach, which is then applied to patient care. Learn how space can accommodate the independent needs of the scientist, while maintaining a balance of social interaction and discussion.
• Recognize how this research is then taken from the bench and applied at the bedside by a clinician and how physicians use interactive spaces with the multidisciplinary team for patient care.
• Explore ways in which the physical environment can foster this model of teamwork and enhance communication between the two environments to promote application of research. Identify barriers to effective collaboration within both the laboratory and the clinical settings.
• Describe the types of interactions that occur in the laboratory and hospital environments in order to explore design solutions for creating interdisciplinary discussion forums within both the research and clinical settings.