Department of Long-Term Care at Asia University Visits Asia University Hospital: Firsthand Insights into Patient-Friendly Care and Smart Management
On November 26, 2025, the Department of Long-Term Care at Asia University incorporated an onsite visit into the course Healthcare Systems and Management, with the instructor leading students to Asia University Hospital for a field study. Through an in-depth discussion with Nursing Department Supervisor Yen Cen-Ru, students gained a close look at how a modern hospital is operated, including its functional layout and accessibility-oriented design. The visit encouraged students to reflect on practical approaches to implementing patient-friendly access to care and integrated resource coordination in an aging society.
People-Centered Design: Optimized Patient Flow and Accessible Spaces
During the visit, students observed that the hospital’s space planning strongly embodies a strategy of reducing unnecessary patient movement. High-demand outpatient services—such as general surgery, orthopedics, psychiatry, and family medicine—are located on the ground floor, close to the Emergency Department and Radiology (including CT, MRI, and X-ray). This arrangement benefits older adults and individuals with mobility limitations by shortening travel distances and streamlining diagnostic pathways. When physical constraints limit further spatial adjustments, the hospital relies on trained staff and volunteers to provide proactive guidance and support, helping ensure smooth registration, navigation, and waiting procedures.
Technology-Enabled Care: Smart Tools That Bridge Language Gaps
With increasing diversity among patient populations, communication barriers have become a key operational concern. Students noted that healthcare staff routinely and effectively use mobile translation applications to support real-time communication with international patients regarding symptoms, care needs, and administrative procedures. This flexible combination of digital tools and human assistance helps overcome language barriers and demonstrates the hospital’s capacity for innovation and operational resilience.
Professional Development: Advancing Long-Term Care Practice Through the User Perspective
The visit helped students recognize that high-performing healthcare institutions must align physical design, administrative processes, and patient experience in a seamless manner. By examining the hospital through both user and management perspectives, students will be better equipped to deliver integrated and practical recommendations in future professional settings—whether planning long-term care facilities or improving home environments to support aging in place. The department hopes students will carry forward the principles of patient-friendly environments and efficient management into the long-term care field, combining technology with human-centered values to become highly skilled professionals with both expertise and compassion.
