FINAL DRAFT 9-26-95
REVISED FEBRUARY 1997
Narrative
Overview:
Current Directions:
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine are
usually a single section in most larger VA
Medical Centers.
This guide deals with
Pulmonary diagnostic and therapeutic aspects
of the specialty, but not Critical Care, which is
included under Intensive Care guidelines.
Pulmonary Medicine includes Respiratory
Care and its components, which include
treatment and diagnostic studies, ventilator
management, Pulmonary Function Testing
(including Blood Gas analysis), Pulmonary
Exercise Testing, and Invasive Pulmonary
Procedures (including bronchoscopy, its sub-
components, and transthoracic diagnostic
procedures). Sleep Disorders Centers are
often included in Pulmonary Medicine,
although sometimes these centers may be
jointly or separately managed by Neurology or
Psychiatry Services.
Other areas of activities will include an
outpatient exam and/or treatment area,
support space for therapists working with
inpatient units, and support space for home
care programs.
Future Trends:
Pulmonary Medicine should be integrated
with non-invasive cardiology services for
patient convenience and for opportunities for
cross-training of staff.
Universal patient exam rooms (wherever
possible) will be developed for greater
efficiency in addressing shifting patient
volumes.
Hospital information systems will be
integrated for improved access to patient
information from remote locations.
VA DESIGN GUIDE
PULMONARY MEDICINE SERVICE
PAGE 2-1
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