New Healthcare Facility Design Guidelines

The Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) has published its 2010 edition of the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities. Updated every four years, the FGI Guidelines are currently used by more than 42 states and several federal agencies to regulate health care facility design and construction around the United States.

The 2010 revision cycle has resulted in a revised document with new material and updates to the language of the 2006 edition of the Guidelines. Completely new language includes material on preparation of a patient handling and movement assessment (PHAMA) as part of planning for health care facility projects; recommendations for the design of bariatric and medical oncology units and cancer treatment facilities; and guidance on acoustic design for health care facilities. A detailed white paper describing how to prepare a PHAMA is available for download from the FGI Web site, accompanying the release date of the 2010 edition.

Another significant change to the Guidelines is the incorporation of the 2008 edition of ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170: Ventilation of Health Care Facilities as Part 6 of the document. This merger is intended to eliminate any confusion caused by having two national ventilation standards for health care.

Additional highlights in the 2010 FGI Guidelines include:

  • Updated requirements for the design of hand washing stations;
  • Design information for technology and medical communication rooms;
  • A new appendix on performing patient safety risk assessments;
  • New material on selecting surfaces and furnishings;
  • Updated design for protective environment rooms;
  • New appendix on wayfinding features;
  • Design information for accommodating bariatric patients in the emergency department;
  • Movement of emergency department pediatric rooms and fast-track areas from the appendix to the main text;
  • Updated requirements for obstetrical facilities; and
  • Revised organization and numbering to make similar requirements in different locations easier to find.

The 2010 edition is being published in three formats—a bound book, a loose-leaf version for placement in a three-ring binder, and a searchable CD. The 2010 edition provides owners, clinical users, design professionals, constructors, and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) with a wealth of professional expertise as well as the full text of ASHRAE Standard 170, white papers on acoustics and on patient handling and movement, draft guidelines for critical access hospitals, and a resource guide on the selection of surfaces and furnishings for health care facilities.


1 COMMENT

  1. Many studies have been done proving the critical relationship between facilities’ interior design and the impact on residents’ health.

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