FINAL DRAFT 9/6/95
UPDATED NOV. 1996
Narrative
Functional Considerations
Space Planning Issues:
Flexibility:
Shared patient and staff support can
include staff lockers, lounges, patient waiting,
The technical space requirements (to
inpatient holding, and registration. However,
accommodate Nuclear Medicine) do impose
segregated patient post-dosing areas are
some constraints on siting of the Nuclear
required.
Medicine facilities. End-point corridors that
do not facilitate and/or require passage to
other areas are preferred.
Human Factors:
To accommodate a broad range of
Patient dignity and self determination
physical equipment configurations, universal
must be accommodated while maintaining
criteria are usually applied in the design of
operational efficiencies.
Nuclear Medicine Imaging Procedure Rooms
Large-sized unfamiliar equipment and
Combining Procedure Rooms into larger
public perceptions regarding nuclear issues
spaces to augment flexibility can decrease
require creative design to minimize anxiety.
patient privacy and can possibly decrease
Due to the length of time a patient is
workload productivity.
relatively motionless under a gamma camera,
it is helpful to have a television within the
Efficiency:
patient's view for diversion.
If a health-
Shared support and qualified technical
maintenance videotape library is available in
staff cross-training and coordination is
the facility, nuclear imaging provides an
possible if Nuclear Medicine and other similar
opportune time for such patient education.
services are adjacent. These are the source
Patient's vulnerability to stress (from
of patient referrals and/or have similar support
noise, lack of privacy, poor lighting, and other
requirements for patient reception, report
causes) can have harmful effects on the
generation, and storage. MRI, Computerized
healing process. This is well-known and
Tomography, and Nuclear Medicine utilize
documented .
similar digital image manipulation techniques,
although the purpose and the technology of
An inherent opportunity exists in the
the imaging systems are different. Radiology
design of Nuclear Medicine Facilities to
equipment, including MRI, detects anatomic
address these issues and to put forth creative
structural changes by radioactive emission
solutions that enhance patient comfort and
from the camera that creates a film image.
contribute to positive outcomes.
Nuclear medicine, on the other hand, detects
A prime objective is to de-emphasize the
physiological and/or biochemical changes in
institutional image of traditional health care
organ
functioning.
A
radionuclide
is
facilities.
This can be accomplished by
administered to the patient and a camera
surrounding the patient (and the family
magnifies and then creates an image of the
members) with architectural finishes and
radioactivity emitted from the patient's target
furnishings that are familiar and non-
organ.
threatening, and that also meet the safety
needs and requirements necessitated by
utilizing radioactivity.
VA DESIGN GUIDE
NUCLEAR MEDICINE SERVICE
PAGE 2-4
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