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.
Larger exam rooms are often planned to accommodate:
- Specialty exam tables, chairs, and equipment and attending staff
- Residents or students as part of a teaching program
- Special patient populations ─ such as pediatric, geriatric, and rehabilitation ─ where more than one family member may be involved in the visit or where the patients routinely use wheelchairs or need assistance with mobility
- Urgent care where the patient may be moved in/out of the exam room on a stretcher
Patient privacy is mandatory in all types of exam or treatment areas. Visual privacy can be achieved with cubicle curtains, traditional doors, or transparent glass doors with curtains, blinds, or electronically-controlled view panels. A cubicle with walls on three sides and a curtain closure at the foot of the chair or stretcher can improve privacy between patients in adjoining cubicles.
General guidelines for various types of exam/treatment rooms are included below:
- Exam room (multi-bay) ─ 80 NSF (7.4 NSM) per bay ─ assuming separate patient bays or cubicles with a minimum clearance of 5’-0” between the sides of adjacent patient stretchers or chairs and 4’-0” between the side of a patient bed and an adjacent wall or partition.
- Exam room (general) ─ 90 NSF (8.4 NSM) per bay ─ with a minimum clearance of 2’-8” on each side and at the foot of the examination table, recliner, or chair.
- Exam room (specialty) ─ 100-120 NSF (9.3-11.1 NSM) per bay ─ allows additional space for specialty equipment and exams (such as eye, ear, nose, or throat) and gynecology; a minimum clearance of 3’-6” is recommended at positions used by the care providers which can be reduced to 1’-0” at sides of the table, bed, or chair other than the major work position.
- Exam area (emergent/urgent care) ─ 120 NSF (11.1 NSM) ─ with a minimum clearance of 3’-0” on each side and at the foot of the examination table, recliner, chair, or stretcher with a minimum clear room dimension of 10 feet.
Note: Net square feet/meters (NSF/NSM) represents the inside wall-to-wall dimensions of all individual rooms.
Source: Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities, The Facility Guidelines Institute, 2022 Edition.