Flexibility in hospital building and application by means of standardized medical room types

This paper presents an approach to standardization of hospital rooms. As hospitals are becoming more complex, the need for quality assurance and validation increases as well. Several sources mention the responsibility of the medical personnel for the quality and safety of the equipment with which patients are treated. The room in which patients are treated can also be seen as part of this responsibility. The hospital currently consists of hundreds of rooms with very little information available on the exact properties and state of rooms. It is thus very hard, both for medical and technical personnel, to gain insight into and be aware of the state of a medical room. This can lead to risks for the patient. In order to give this insight, we paper propose a standardization of medical rooms. Based on the hygiene and electrical safety classes, nine standard room types are defined. Additionally, rooms may have specific ‘toppings’ for more specialized tasks. This approach allows medical personnel to instantly acquire insight into the capabilities of a room, and the possibility of performing a certain treatment. Furthermore, maintenance requirements are clearer, there is more flexibility in room use, and it is expected that the approach will greatly simplify the planning of hospital construction projects.