Hospital emergency rooms have different waiting rooms than a pediatrician’s room.
Creating a medical waiting room is often a matter of balancing available space with the needs of your patients. A medical waiting room should be functional and comfortable, so everything from the furniture to the color of the walls to the entertainment contributes to the overall feel. Be intentional with your choices and take the time to plan what you want your space to look like before you begin.
A series of diaries will allow patients to stay busy while waiting for appointments.
A waiting room is often the first impression patients have of your clinic. It’s where patients enter the office and wait to see the doctor, hear the news, or pick up a friend or family member. The best reception rooms are attractive and fun, as well as clean and functional.
Much of what goes into creating a medical waiting room necessarily depends on the type of practice you’re running. A pediatrician, for example, will likely need a very different type of receiving room than a hospital emergency room. The first thing he should do is think about his clientele and their needs. Then take a look at your existing space and look for ways to make it comfortable and inviting.
Emergency department waiting rooms should be designed to make it easier to determine which patients to see first.
Most of the medical waiting rooms are immediately attached to the main office. This is where the receptionist greets patients, where appointments are made, and often where check-out takes place. It’s often a good idea to make the front desk an easily identifiable element of the room. It doesn’t have to be in the city center, but it should be easy to find and accessible. Thinking about details like where to place the front desk may not seem like a big deal, but it can be very helpful in setting the right tone and image for your practice.
Both lighting and decoration are also important features in any medical waiting room.
Waiting room furniture also plays a role in the tone you’re setting with the space as a whole. Decide how many seats you want to provide, and then look for ways to diversify your options. Placing couches around a coffee table or swivel chairs around a media center, for example, creates a less sterile living room feel than many other waiting rooms in doctors’ offices.
Many waiting rooms have a receptionist’s desk where paperwork and other administrative needs are handled.
Both lighting and decoration are also important features in any medical waiting room. Light bulbs or dim lights are often a welcome contrast to the fluorescent lighting commonly used in exam rooms. You should also consider details such as the color of the walls and the carpet, taking into account how often each is likely to need cleaning. Waiting room décor such as murals, artwork, and mirrors can also be a good way to open up the space.
Finally, choose entertainment for your medical reception room that satisfies your patient base. Consider subscribing to books and magazines on a variety of topics, but make sure each is kept clean, up-to-date, and organized. Wireless Internet access may appeal to business-oriented patients, and if children are likely to visit the medical waiting room, a dedicated play area is often a welcome distraction. Low-volume television or carefully selected music can also go a long way toward setting the right mood.