Venturing into private practice is, by all standards, a great leap. It opens up your horizons to practice medicine with some independence, offer your patients more attention, and possibly even more care.
Still, like all business ventures, it can be a scary move and would require some planning and effort to get right. Since you likely have the medical skill and experience handled, let’s talk design.
Have you figured out a suitable layout for your premises? What impact will your design scheme have on your patients? Read on and we explore these and other key design aspects to consider.
The Layout
Ideally, the layout of a medical practice should provide enough room for proper caregiving, promote patient privacy, and improve the overall functionality of the place. One of the easiest ways to achieve these goals is to picture yourself as the patient going through different stages of service.
As you walk through the experience, you will notice the need for an easily accessible reception area followed closely by an emergency bay. Exam and treatment rooms could then be placed further out of view for privacy. You will also need bathrooms and an administrative office if you have the room to spare.
Of course, all these details can be better executed by an architect. However, it is equally important that you walk into the design process while being intentional about the kind of experience you would like to deliver.
Lighting
Lighting will be pivotal both in terms of creating ambiance and in ensuring you can tend to your patients to the best of your ability. Subsequently, you may have to invest in different types of lighting for different areas.
Sounds expensive, doesn’t it?
Fortunately, it does not have to be. LED lighting solutions like a bulk COB strip could easily be installed all around the different areas of your practice. It offers bright lighting without glare and is flexible enough to be installed on different surfaces. Furthermore, it costs less than standard bulbs both in terms of purchase and energy consumption.
For examination and treatment rooms, fall back on your professional instinct and invest in medical exam lights, surgical lights, penlights, and Woods lights.
Storage For Supplies
Medical supplies require sterile storage. In this case, it will also be essential that they are easily accessible to make it possible for you to easily and expeditiously attend to patients.
Consider implementing a two-fold storage system. This would entail filling up a medical cart with essentials for use in treatment rooms. You would then store the bulk supplies in a separate storage room and refill the carts from there as the need arises.
Try to create as much order as you can in the main storage area. This will make it easy to find supplies and keep track of inventory. You could install racks or shelves and have labeled plastic crates to separate different types of supplies. Custom shelves are easy to find or order from manufacturers. You may, however, need to work with a plastic mould maker to come up with an accurate design for the plastic crates.
Patient Facilities
The right facility for your patients will depend on the type of practice that you are setting up. However, you will likely need a recovery or outpatient room and a hygiene area at the minimum. Endeavor to make both areas as welcoming and discreet as possible as research indicates that such conducive environments significantly improve patient outcomes.
Further, consider that patients may require designated areas to leave their belongings during treatment sessions. Features such as lockers and pigeon holes would make them feel more comfortable and even help keep treatment rooms sterile as they would not have to bring in all their items.
Safety Provisions
Hospitals and clinics are considered almost sacred. Yet, in recent years, that sanctity has severally been pierced by errant gunmen and incidents of patients running amok.
Consequently, it is crucial that you have a security team on the premises and safety features and procedures in place. Such design features include emergency exits, fire extinguishers, and surveillance cameras.
It is also highly recommended that you have your security team disarm all patients even if they are licensed gun carriers. Their weapons can be stored in a gun safe in the facility and returned after their visit. Given the high use of oxygen in clinics, it would equally be best to invest in fireproof gun safes if you go this route.
Conclusion
A lot is said about running almost any other kind of business. However, very little is said or written about medical practice; at least not in an accessible way. Yet, it is in discussing issues such as the functionality and impact of the designs of healthcare facilities that we may finally be able to bring back some soul and compassion to the profession.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.