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Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Principal Design Issues in the ER
PRINICIPAL DESIGN ISSUES
- Helicopter access
- Triage
- The waiting area
- Treatment spaces
o Triage area
o Trauma room (s)
o Cardiac resuscitation room (s)
o Urgent exam room/treatment room (s)
o Non-urgent exam room/treatment room (s)
o Geriatric treatment room (s)
o Suture/minor treatment room (s)
o Quiet room (s)
o Secure isolation room for psychiatric emergencies (s)
o Paediatric treatment/examination room (s)
o OB-GYN room (s)
o Eye examination room (s)
o Cast/ortho room
o Decontamination room (s)
o Observation room (s)
o Chest pain observation room (s)
o Fast-track room for primary care (s)
o Emergency dental treatment room (s)
- Staff and support spaces
- Accommodation of data and diagnostic technologies
- Flexible design for flexible response
- Specialty emergency treatment areas
- Security
- Convenient parking
- Prominent signage and entryways
OTHER GENERAL ISSUES TO CONSIDER IN ER DESIGN
- Layout: satellite vs. ballroom vs. corridor vs. pods etc.
- Are the patients observing what is going on more than the staff is able to?
- How to prevent patients being ‘forgotten about’
- How to improve the experience for the patient
- Enormous waiting times: 5 hours
- Overcrowding
- 30% of the population are without medical insurance
- ER as primary care facility (esp. for those without insurance)
- ED running at a deficit in most cases: how can profitability be improved?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chapter on Boston City Hospital
Vogel, M. J., The Invention of the Modern Hospital, University of Chicago Press, 1980
Miller, R. L. and Swensson, E. S.. Hospital and Healthcare Facility Design, W.W. Norton and Company, 2002. Chapter 5
Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospital Facilities, AIA Press, 1997
Zimring, C. A Guide to Conducting Healthcare Facility Visits, The Centre for Healthcare Design, 1994
Lennon, J. A Workshop for Designing the ER of the Future Journal of Healthcare Design, Volume XIII 1996 p. 139
Anonymous at 1:11 PM