Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospital and Health Care Facilities

Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities
by the Facilities Guidelines Institute, the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health, and with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Hospital Association

Ring-bound Loose-leaf Manual
ISBN 0872588637
978-0872588639
American Institute of Architects / Facility Guidelines Institute / AHA
January 2011
(click the button below for the very best available price)

The Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities provides both health care providers and design professionals with guidance on good practice and emerging trends in the design and construction of health care facilities. The Joint Commission, many federal agencies, and authorities in 42 states use the Guidelines either as a code or a reference standard when reviewing, approving, and financing plans; surveying, licensing, certifying, or accrediting newly constructed facilities; or developing their own codes.

The Guidelines covers minimum program, space, and design needs for all clinical and support areas of hospitals, nursing facilities, freestanding psychiatric facilities, outpatient and rehabilitation facilities, and long-term care facilities. The document also includes minimum engineering design criteria for plumbing, medical gas, electrical, and heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems. The Guidelines are currently referenced by more than 42 state departments of licensure or health.

This important reference includes new material on acoustics, patient handling and movement, patient safety, bariatric patient care, cancer treatment, and emergency services.

This manual is the current version used by healthcare authorities. For 60 years, the Guidelines have set minimum standards for American health care facility design. These performance-oriented requirements give health care providers and design professionals guidance on good practice and emerging trends. This newest edition of the Guidelines:

reorganizes and renumbers content according to facility type,
standardizes language use and information categories, and
introduces color to help users quickly find the information they need.

This book is read and relied upon by healthcare executives, administrators, facilities and space planners, architects, designers, builders, safety directors, risk managers, maintenance directors and others needing an understanding or reference regarding construction and design guidelines.

The Guidelines are updated on a four-year cycle by the 124-member, multidisciplinary Health Guidelines Revision Committee (HGRC). Individuals knowledgeable about health care practices and health facility design (doctors, nurses, facility managers, architects, and engineers) and those who apply the document in the field (state and federal authorities having jurisdiction, or AHJs) serve on the committee. (AHJs reviewing and approving plans and construction for health facilities are often architects or engineers.) Highlights that you need to be aware of include:

Strengthened information on the Infection Control Risk Assessment process
New appendix language on green architecture and surge capacity in emergency departments
New chapters on urgent care facilities, gastrointestinal endoscopy facilities, psychiatric outpatient centers, renal dialysis centers, office surgical facilities, and small primary care hospitals
New language on assisted living facilities, hospice facilities, and adult day health care facilities
Private rooms for acute medical/surgical and postpartum patients in new hospital construction
New sections on intermediate care units, observation units in emergency departments, and skilled nursing units in general hospitals

Please note: The next updated edition is scheduled to be published no earlier than 2014 or 2015. We will list it here when it becomes available. Until then, this 2010 edition represents the current, approved guidelines in use. For detailed information about changes and new material, download the Major Additions and Revisions essay below.

Responding to public input, the multidisciplinary Health Guidelines Revision Committee of the Facility Guidelines Institute made significant content changes.

The Health Guidelines Revision Committee (HGRC) is a consensus group of architects, engineers, and health care professionals, sponsored by the American Institute of Architects. The Guidelines are updated about every four years to six years to keep pace with new concepts and capabilities in the delivery of health care. Public proposals for change are reviewed by the multidisciplinary AIA Health Guidelines Revision Committee, which represents architectural, engineering, clinical, and administrative expertise from the public and private sectors.

You may also be interested in / The Directory of Healthcare Recruiters /

Jump to a List / Health Administration & Leadership / Physician Executive, Medical Staff & Practice Management / Finance, Accounting, Economics, Billing & Reimbursement / Coding for Hospital, Physician & Clinical Services / Law, Malpractice, Ethics, Accreditation & Compliance / Quality Improvement, Outcomes & Customer Service / Risk Management, Security, Error Reduction & Patient Safety / Information Systems, Technology & Medical Records / Clinical Management & Executive Nursing / Behavioral Health, Social Work & Psychiatry Management / Human Resources, Management & Supervision / Directories, Data, Trends & Benchmarks / Software & CD-ROMs / Gift Ideas & Recommended Gifts / Journals, Magazines & Newsletters / Search for Books / Books Index /

Go Back to Pages / Home Page / Toolbox for Health Administrators / Bookstore