Healthy offices, healthy patients

The built environment has a deep effect on our sense of well-being. In the particular instance of the medical office space, design modulates workflow efficiency, employee comfort and productivity, and patients’ perception of quality of care.[1] 

A core text on this topic is Medical and Dental Space Planning by Jain Malkin, now in its third edition. Mal­kin reviews the psychology and the general parameters of medical space planning, and then offers specific recommendations for work spaces in over 30 specialties, including primary care, diagnostic imaging, ambulatory surgery, and sport medicine. 

Other useful texts on the topic include Hospital and Healthcare Facility Design by Richard L. Miller and Earl S. Swensson (2002), Healthcare Facility Planning by Cynthia Hayward (2006), and Healthcare Architecture in an Era of Radical Transformation by Stephen Verderber and David J. Fine (2000). 

The movement toward human-scaled, environmentally sensitive facilities can be explored in Sustainable Healthcare Architecture by Robin Guenther and Gail Vittori (2008). 

The library can provide articles on office planning such as “Practical Tips for Dealing with Office Construction and Repair” (L.S. Hills, 2008), “10 Ways To Give Your Office a Face-lift” (J. Pangrazio, 2006), the three-part series “The Myriad Faces of Facility De­velopment,” and the four-part series “Office Space Planning and Design for Medical Practices” (both by R.C. Haines and colleagues, 2005 and 2003). 

College members are welcome to contact the Library to borrow the above texts (Sustainable Healthcare Architecture is available by interlibrary loan for a small fee) or a compilation of articles on office design. 

—Linda Clendenning
—Karen MacDonell
—Judy Neill
Librarians/Co-Managers, CPSBC Library

References

1. Becker F, Douglass S. The ecology of the patient visit: Physical attractiveness, waiting times, and perceived quality of care. J Ambul Care Manage. 2008;31:128-141.