FINAL DRAFT 9/28/95
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Narrative
3. Level of Care
6. Patient Protocol
A single MRI will most often be Hospital
Outpatient and inpatient procedures are
Based, as this location provides the most
ordered by physicians and scheduled by
universal and hopefully convenient location.
the department during regular business
hours.
4. Patient Base
Unscheduled and off-hour procedures will
depend on the level of care to be provided.
VA MRI Facilities need to demonstrate an
ability to generate sufficient workload to
7. Special Requirements
justify the substantial cost. This is based
on a cost benefit analysis.
Teaching facilities will require more
VA MRI facilities are focused upon serving
technical support space, including spaces
the Veteran, and may participate in sharing
for small observation groups, interpretation
agreements, joint ventures, and referrals.
areas, and image manipulation areas.
Also, efforts are made to include the
veteran's family and the general public.
Coordination with related departments,
facilities, and program missions is required
5. Medical Records
to verify space needs. These may include
prep, recovery, exam, and stretcher holding
spaces.
Diagnostic evaluations generated within the
department become part of the veteran's
Such departments may include:
Consolidated Health Record (CHR) with
Hospital-Nursing Care;
actual films and/or electronic data stored
Long Term Care Facilities;
locally within the MRI Facility or in
Ambulatory Services;
Radiology Film Storage.
Emergency;
Surgery; and
Evaluations are also communicated to the
Satellite Facilities.
ordering physician in either hard copy or
electronic form (as required).
B. Space Planning Issues
Image
manipulation,
interpretation,
archiving,
retrieval
and
distribution
1. Flexibility
procedures may occur within the MRI
Facility or may be consolidated with
Certain technical space requirements
Radiology.
These techniques include
impose special constraints on the siting and
varying levels of electronic and film record
design of MRI facilities.
These may
storage requirements and will effect final
include:
space requirements.
Magnetic field generated by MRI
magnets;
The sensitivity of Imaging process to
radio frequencies (RF's);
The size and weight of the magnet;
cryogen service; and
Venting requirements.
VA DESIGN GUIDE
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
PAGE 2-2
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