Using the 2,500-square-feet-per-bed benchmark as an example, here are eight things to consider when evaluating healthcare design benchmarks:ġ. So how can we make benchmarking a less blunt, more meaningful tool for any scale? Similarly, a 380-bed teaching facility using this benchmark may not have enough space per bed to support team rounding, consultations, and the provider work spaces necessary for both patient care and academics. A 25-bed critical access hospital, however, may need to be more efficient than a benchmark of 62,500 square feet to meet the cost-based reimbursement models for Medicaid and Medicare. For a 120-bed community hospital, 300,000 square feet (2,500 square feet X 120 beds) may be the sweet spot for enough programmed area to support each bed, without being oversized. In a nutshell, this benchmark implies that all the support spaces necessary to deliver inpatient care, including food, logistics, and diagnostic and treatment areas, have been tallied and divided by the total number of beds supported. Are all comparisons using the inside face of demising walls or do some go to the mid-point of the walls? Are shafts, stairs, and elevators included or excluded?įor example, take the traditional rule of thumb of 2,500 square feet per bed for overall sizing of a hospital. The simple mechanics of determining the amount of space per KPU is very important in order to compare designs, the process of performing the area calculations should be handled the same. Both the American Institute of Architects and Building Owners and Managers Association offer guidance on standardizing processes for calculating areas. However, when benchmarking is performed in a vacuum without a standardized process, the results can be misleading. For example, a hospital that elects to have a patient/family-centered care designation requires a larger patient room and more family sleeping space, which drives up the typical benchmark ratios for square feet per patient room.īenchmarks can be an incredibly helpful design tool, whether sizing an entire campus or informing a departmental study. However, these metrics should also consider functionality and operations. These benchmarks are based on codes, research, and precedent, and factor in a certain amount of space necessary to support one KPU in a hospital. Ultimately, benchmarking provides a quantitative tool to align decisions and selections with established project objectives.Ĭommon planning benchmarks used in healthcare design involve square feet per key planning unit (KPU), such as a patient bed, imaging modality, or operating room. The purpose is to understand differences in multiple designs, between facilities or competitors. ![]() In healthcare design, this process allows designers and architects to compare existing or proposed building performance data against best practices. Benchmarking is a practice that compares a metric back to a standard in a particular industry.
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