Individuality Has Its Place

The "cookie cutter" approach best describes how to construct examination rooms. Each should be identical to all other examination rooms in the facility—to the last detail. Equipment should be laid out the same; blood pressure cuffs and opthalmoscopes should be in the same place on the wall in every room, and light switches, equipment and water all in the same place. In this way, a physician will save time and embarrassment by not needing to awkwardly search for supplies or equipment and inadvertently contribute to a patient’s lack of ease.

One pitfall, if possible, to avoid is "back to back" plumbing between rooms. While this practice may save a few dollars in plumbing costs, it creates a situation where one exam room is a "mirror image" of the other. The moral: spend a little more on plumbing to avoid confusion.

Also, office furniture and equipment in each "universal" examination room should be situated so that physicians may consult "eye to eye" over working surfaces or tables with patients. The layout should consider physicians’ needs so that, for example, the physician can speak with a patient while being able to write and make notes at the same time. Examination tables should be angled away from the entrance way to allow for optimum patient privacy.

Most examination rooms measure 8’ x 10." Efficient use of space allows this to be a comfortable size.