Emergency Department Design Trends

Emergency Department Design Trends - New Article to be Published

Well known hospital architecture firm Bernstein & Associates, Architects is pleased to announce the publication of an article on current emergency department (ED) design trends. Topics discussed include:

- Trends in ED patient type and volume.
- How to start the ED design process.
- The impact of built-in design flexibility on ED longevity and quality of care.
- Different types of ED layouts.
- Advantages of “linear” and “pod” ED layouts.
- Prerequisites for a successful pod layout.
- Trends towards standardized exam rooms and “flexible-use planning”.
- Trends away from departmentally dedicated spaces within the ED.
- How to design and equip a flexible-use exam room.
- Specialties which need individualized spaces.
- Pre-admission rooms and pre-release observation units.
- The basics of Lean design guidelines.
- How to perform a pre-design Lean analysis.
- Advantages of optimizing workflow as the first step of the design process.
- Input required for a successful Lean analysis.
- The importance of minimizing cross-traffic and walking distances.
- The importance of promoting patient calm and comfort.
- The balance between visibility and patient privacy.
- Lighting considerations.
- Shielding of entryways for ambulance patients.
- Designing family and visitor-friendly exam rooms.
- The importance of proper technology selection.
- Self-service kiosks for registration and other purposes.
- The advantages of wireless PC technology linked to the ED network.
- The use of RFID tags and scanners to track patients and instantly update records.
- Importance of designing for possible disaster capacity scenarios.
- Inclusion of multiple entry portals for disaster situations.
- Isolated entrances for contaminated patients.
- Independent power and water systems.
- Engineering and support “modules” to enable more effective quarantine.
- Requirement for air-isolation rooms.
- Using waiting and parking spaces as care spaces in dire situations.

© 2010 by William N. Bernstein, LEED®AP, AIA and Manu Venkat. Well known hospital architect Mr. Bernstein is a principal of hospital architecture firm Bernstein & Associates, Architects (www.bernarch.com), which is focused on smart hospital renovations for hospital clients, with offices in New York, Hartford, Princeton and Los Angeles. The firm is known for innovative hospital planning, hospital design, hospital architecture and hospital interior design. Additional ways to follow the hospital design philosophy and hospital design news, is through the firm’s hospital design blog at www.bernarch.blogspot.com, as well as the firm’s hospital design Twitter account at www.twitter.com/hospitals

For more information about emergency department design, emergency department planning, emergency department architecture, and emergency department interior design, go to http://bernarch.com/healthcare-design-emergency-departments/. Or please contact:

Hospital Architects in New York (Headquarters)
Bernstein & Associates, Architects 59 West 19th St, New York, NY 10011
Email: info@bernarch.com

Hospital Architects in Hartford
Bernstein & Associates, Architects 100 Pearl St. - 14th Floor, Hartford, CT 06103
Email: info@bernarch.com

Hospital Architects in Princeton
Bernstein & Associates, Architects 103 Carnegie Center, Suite 300, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 Email: info@bernarch.com

Hospital Architects in Los Angeles
Bernstein & Associates, Architects 1405 Woodruff Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90024
Email: info@bernarch.com