There may be no standard design for medical clinics and offices, but there are a few things that should be present in the design – it should have a sensible workflow that would improve patient care while at the same time allow for efficient processes in the facility. But there are factors that come into play, including the budget and your specific needs, of course. All of these things should be considered.
If you are building a medical office, think about its design even before you call a contractor. You should also think about the goals of the practice, the medical equipment that you’ll use, general medical operational needs, patient care needs, and more.
In this post, Masterstrux, one of the best medical building contractors in Mississauga, aims to provide you with information so you can make an informed decision with regards to your healthcare facility’s design:
Create an Efficient Layout
You should take into consideration the job descriptions of all our staff members as these will help you determine the services that your medical office or clinic will offer. If possible, ask your staff to give you a list of their tasks, starting with ones of the highest priority. You then need to choose the most convenient location for the staff to do those tasks and ensure that any necessary equipment will fit those rooms.
Think About the Office Flow
Inefficient routes in a medical facility can cause costly delays. You want to make sure that there would be little to no traffic inefficiency when you offer patient care. For instance, if the prescription printer is located in a room outside of the exam area, that could be a waste of time. You might not mind it now, but when things get busy, this delay can be frustrating.
Don’t Forget the Aesthetics
Don’t underestimate the importance of the visuals of a medical office. Colours and interior design have a significant impact on the mood and well-being of both your patients and your staff. Choose colour schemes that are known to soothe and promote healing. You can refer to colour psychology when you choose the palette that you’ll use for your clinic.
Tackle the Technical Specifications
The architect and structural engineer will provide you with the drawings that will show you exactly how the facility will be constructed. The contractors will follow these plans, but they need to be approved by the authorities prior to that. Some technical elements that need to be taken care of include:
- Building permits – The law requires that you secure the building from your local government. They need to ensure that the drawing package complies with the regulatory standards.
- Drawing package – This will show all the details of the proposed construction down to the tiniest element, including the fire sprinkler systems, the drywall dividers, and more.
- Sound-proofing – Medical interiors require soundproofing and this often applies to drywall construction. Your building contractor should know to only use drywall that meets the suitable drywall STC and NRC ratings.
Conclusion
As you can see, working on the design of your medical office is a little more complicated than other business facilities. There are factors that you consider that are only applicable to medical facilities. Therefore, you need to approach the design process more carefully. Make sure that your medical building contractors know of your goals, the functions of each room, and what you need from the space that they’ll build for you.
Mastertrux is one of the most reliable medical building contractors in Mississauga. Contact us today and we can discuss the design of your medical facility!