Richard C.

Thomas C. Quirk

staff's productivity levels.

veloped. These issues include

e present a method for de-

Once these two issues have

termining a medical office

Goals- he medical practice

T

been determined, the practice

design, an often bewildering task.

goals of the physicians have to be

and the medical space planner

Each step builds on the previous

identified. These are then inte-

will have a clear understanding of

one; the result is a space that re-

grated with the practice goals. In

flects the specific practice pat-

the essential elements required

some cases, this information may

terns of a physician or a group of

for the practice to function well.

have been identified by the prac-

physicians and the ancillary staff.

However, the medical space plan-

tice and expressed in the mission

ner and practice administrator

Whether you are building a new

statement, More frequently, this

should also have a good under-

or satellite office or remodeling

type of information is elicited

standing of the business implica-

an existing space, you can apply

from a meeting between the med-

tions of practice design. There

the fundamentals of this design

ical space planner, the physi-

must be a sense of how the prac-

process.

cians, and the administrator.

tice will register patients and

Productivity The productiv-

-

check them in, manage patient

ity needs of the physicians and

flow through the facility, and

staff are then assessed. This type

The first step in changing a

check them out.

of analysis is best done by the

practice environment, whether a

practice's medical space planner.

main office or a satellite, is deter-

It requires determining the phy-

mining the need. You must know

,

sicians' current productivity and

At this point in the process all

exactly what the space is to do

and how the space will- be inte-

the participants must understand

identifying ways to improve that

productivity. This will usually

grated into the overall practice

what the dynamics of the new of-

function; this must be determined

yield a physician potential which

fice are and agree on a definition

of acceptable performance. How-

prior to looking for space. Doing

exceeds the practice's current

ever, the amount of square feet

this effectively requires integrat-

productivity level. Once the phy-

ing the efforts and talents of the

necessary to make that happen is

sicians' productive potential has

physicians, the practice adminis-

yet undetermined. The next step

been determined, it must be in-

trator, and the medical space

is to develop an itemized written

tegrated with the productivity re-

space program for the practice. A

planner. Several specific issues

quirements of the staff. The prac-

have to be addressed, their im-

tice will produce work at the rate

space program identifies every

plications evaluated, and the con-

room and space that the practice

of the slowest participant in the

cepts for integrating the various

will require. This is an important

process; therefore, it is important

elements into a viable solution de-

step because until it is done the

to integrate the physicians' and

37

Administrative Ophthalmology