The capacity of a labor and delivery suite will vary depending on whether the hospital is deploying the single-room maternity care concept exclusively — using combined labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum rooms (LDRP rooms) — or if the mother and infant are moved to a separate postpartum unit after delivery. The labor and delivery area will also typically include one to three delivery/operating rooms for C-sections and a normal newborn nursery or infant holding area. A designated admission/triage area is often provided for higher-volume services.
Rules-of-Thumb
Helpful rules-of-thumb for estimating capacity, preliminary space need, standard spaces, paring, and more.
Estimating Surgery Space Based on the Number of Operating Rooms
Sometimes a preliminary space estimate is needed to evaluate location alternatives, conduct a feasibility study, or develop a preliminary cost estimate for construction or renovation. Once the number of operating rooms (ORs) is determined, an estimate of the total footprint required for the surgical suite can be made using the rules-of-thumb in this post.
Estimating Space for Oncology Services
Oncology services focus on cancer detection and the care of patients with cancer and include physician office or clinic visits, chemotherapy treatments, radiation therapy, and a variety of patient support services. Two major facility components include the radiation therapy suite and the medical oncology/infusion therapy area. These two functions may be located within the same facility — such as a cancer center.
Common Clinical Support Spaces
Whether a patient care area is used for patient exams and treatments, diagnostics, medical or surgical procedures, or for inpatient recuperation, associated space is needed to store and stage medical supplies, medications, nourishment, and equipment used in the department or nursing unit. These spaces are often referred to as “clinical support space” and are usually standardized throughout a healthcare facility. The generic rooms or areas listed in this article can be used for most patient care areas. The minimum sizes can generally support a wide range of exam/treatment rooms, procedure rooms, and inpatient beds. A further increase in workload or beds can usually be met with the addition of a second supply cart, bin, cabinet, etc. For very large departments or nursing units, an additional set of these spaces may be provided to reduce staff walking distances.
Estimating Capacity and Space for Cardiovascular Services
Cardiovascular procedures include routine noninvasive diagnostic tests as well as more complicated cardiovascular diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Noninvasive tests typically include electrocardiography (ECG), cardiac stress tests, Holter monitoring, tilt table testing, echocardiography, transesophageal echo (TEE), vascular studies, and nuclear cardiography. Interventional cardiovascular procedures involve longer procedure times and recovery periods and include cardiac catheterization, therapeutic cardiovascular procedures, and electrophysiology.
Sizing Exam/Treatment Rooms
General exam/treatment rooms in physician offices and outpatient clinics are typically sized at 100 net square feet (NSF) or 9.3 net square meters (NSM) although they may be as smaller if they can achieve a minimum clear floor area of 80 NSF (7.4 NSM). An exam chair or table, exam light, a handwashing station, supply storage cabinet, area for written or electronic documentation, stool, and a visitor chair are commonly included in an exam/treatment room. The exam chair or table may be placed at an angle or against a wall to accommodate the type of patient being served. When cubicles with curtain closure are provided, a hand-washing sink is required for every four patient cubicles or less.