FINAL DRAFT 9/6/95
UPDATED NOV. 1996
Narrative
Functional Considerations
Level of Care:
Patient Protocol:
Nuclear Medicine includes a wide array of
Referring physicians order outpatient and
specialized, high-cost equipment, making
inpatient procedures that occur during regular
duplicating
facilities
in
inpatient
and
business hours.
ambulatory care settings unfeasible. Also,
Provision of in-house remote services may
many regulatory requirements regarding
require storage for mobile equipment located
service placement and operation do not
within the department or within the unit served
support such duplicating.
Most of the
(ex. ICU).
workload is predominantly outpatient care, but
inpatient access is also significant.
Special Requirements:
Patient Base:
Teaching facilities will require more
technical support space to accommodate
VA Nuclear Medicine facilities focus on
small
groups
(needing
consultation,
serving the veterans, and they may include
interpretation, and image manipulation areas).
sharing agreements, joint ventures and
To verify space needs, coordination is
referrals. Efforts to include the veteran's
required between related departments,
family and the general public are also
facilities, and program missions. These may
important. The aging veteran patient with co-
include preparation, segregated waiting,
morbidities and increased severity of illness
examination, and stretcher holding spaces.
necessitate design features that emphasize
safety and prevention of risks.
Such departments may include:
Hospital Nursing Care
Medical Records:
Cardiology
Printed diagnostic evaluations generated
Long-term Care Facilities
within the department become part of the
veteran's Consolidated Health Record. The
Ambulatory Services
Nuclear Medicine department locally stores
Emergency
actual films and/or electronic data. Special
film sizes partially dictate service storage.
Surgery
The
ordering
physician
receives
Radiation Oncology
diagnostic evaluations in either hard copy or
electronic form (as required).
Image
manipulation,
interpretation,
archiving,
retrieval,
and
distribution
procedures require varying levels of electronic
and film record storage requirements.
Changing technology will affect final space
requirements.
VA DESIGN GUIDE
NUCLEAR MEDICINE SERVICE
PAGE 2-3
Previous Page
