Outpatient Spaces: What to Expect in Designing a Doctors Clinic
Whether the doctors clinic is part of a hospital or a standalone healthcare hub, designing one depends on the specialization of the doctors and the available space. This post talks about the things to consider in designing a doctors clinic.
SPACE
Richard Lasam
4/18/20254 min read
The doctors clinic is perhaps one of the more interesting spaces in healthcare architecture. Not quite a hospital, but definitely not just an office, a doctors clinic is a space (which may or may not be attached to a larger healthcare institution and can be an operation by one or multiple doctors) in which outpatient services and diagnosis are conducted.
There are many types of clinics ranging from private practices to full blown specialist centers, but for this blog I will focus on what is called a Doctors Clinic—the personal medical space in which doctors treat and diagnose their patients in a more personal manner. In the years of my practice, I find that this space often has the most number of adjustments done to it over the design process, much like patient rooms (read more about them here and here) but in this case, clinics have a more “personal” touch to them since they are a place for doctors to provide medical care to their patients and at the same time be comfortable in their work space.
Depending on the location, a clinic can be attached to a healthcare facility (often found in what are called Medical Arts Buildings) and will be more like a rentable space for doctors (similar to renting an apartment for a certain duration) or be in a separate rentable space, wholly owned by a doctor or a group of doctors (a private clinic, as it is called). Regardless of its location, a standard clinic can be divided into the following spaces:
1. Public Areas
a. Reception Area. This is where a receptionist, secretary, or medical aide processes the schedule and medical records of a patient. Often, this is a desk or small office with a space for a patient to interact with staff. This may also be the cashier area in some cases.
b. Waiting Area. Patients and visitor spend time here before their consultation and/or treatment with the doctor. Usually includes lounge chairs, tables, and some entertainment, which nowadays seem to be Wi-Fi access and TV screens.
c. Pre-examination Area. In some cases, a space in which a patient can have their vital signs checked or other preparations done before the consultation is allocated.
2. Private Areas
a. Doctors Office. Most of the activities are conducted inside of the clinic, often having a desk for the doctor and chairs for patients to sit on to discuss their medical challenges. This place might also have a meeting table on one side (if the space allows it), which is used for meetings with patients and their families. This space often has the personal effects of the doctor, along with credentials and other items connected to their specialties.
b. Examination Area. This can be merged with the doctors office, but if space allows, a separate examination area is an essential part of the clinic. Composed of a well-lighted space and a place for a patient to either sit down or lie down, this is the area in which the doctor can properly check and examine a patient.
c. Treatment Area. Another space that can be merged with the doctors office (but can be separated as well), this is the space in which specific treatments by the doctor is administered in an outpatient manner. Certain medical procedures take time to complete, so it is possible to have multiple treatment rooms depending on the specialties of the doctor in the clinic.
The treatment area of a dental clinic is clearly separate from the office area.
3. Support Areas
a. Staff Area. This is a space for the staff (if any—again, it depends on the needs of the doctors clinic) to rest and prepare for the work to be done. This area may contain anything from a small table with chairs, a bed, or anything that can help the staff to relax during breaktimes.
b. Pantry. This is the place in which the staff of the doctors clinic eat during mealtimes. Often contains a small kitchenette for heating food and cleaning utensils. May also have a refrigerator located here.
c. Records. A small room to contain the physical documents of the doctor and patient records.
d. Storage. A space to contain anything from medical supplies, office materials, or equipment, depending on the needs of the doctors clinic.
e. Toilet and Bath. A place for the users of the doctors clinic to freshen up and relieve themselves if necessary.
There are other spaces that are not mentioned here, since every specialty in medicine has different nuances in terms of the operations and activities done in the clinic.
Furthermore, the clinic is differentiated by the following parameters, which change how the previous spaces mentioned before are designed:
1. Size of Buildable Area. Depending on the location, this defines what can be included in the interior spaces of the doctors clinic.
2. Number of Doctors. Space must be adjusted in the clinic if the doctors share the space at different times and days of the week, or the doctors all have separate offices within the clinic.
3. Medical Specialization. As stated before, the specializations of the doctors greatly affect the spaces within the clinic. Some specializations require equipment that occupies a large space, while some need no more than a desk and chairs to consult with their patients.
4. Number of Staff, Patients and Visitors. The space the clinic occupies needs to be adjusted based on the total number of expected people inside of the space.
As you can see, healthcare architecture is fascinating in the number of elements one needs to analyze to provide an efficient design solution to clients.
To see how some of the more expansive and specialized clinics look like, you can visit my academia page for typical plans of a Dialysis Clinic, Physical Rehabilitation Center, and an Aesthetic Center.