In any clinical setting, from a dental office to a surgical suite, the single most important aspect of healthcare design is maintaining a sterile environment. This is because the greatest risk factor for a patient is infection. Nosocomial infections are infection as a result of treatment in the healthcare setting, but secondary to the patient’s [...]

Well, that may be a bit of a stretch. Imaging areas are still some of the most complex to plan and design. The MRI needs floor support and RF shielding, the ultrasound tech wants lights on dimmers,  the new digital Mammo unit is so fast you need to add extra changing rooms to keep up [...]

Hot water and scrub sinks
There is a rumor going around that Doctors – specifically surgeons – are notoriously impatient. I’m still gathering evidence to form my own opinion. But the idea of waiting for hot water before they scrub into a case can easily be seen as something that might be irritating. On a recent [...]

The summary below covers my list of the most significant medical equipment innovations of the past 20 years.  Some are already being phased out as new technologies arrive, but the hospital of today looks very different than it did in 1990 thanks to these developments:

Note: This is the sixth post for my Top 10 List of the medical equipment innovations with the greatest impact on facility design. My criteria was simple: Did the innovation create a significant change in the cost (Increase or Decrease) to design and construct the facility? The greater the overall impact, the higher the item [...]