The updated Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities calls for single-patient rooms in medical/surgical and postpartum units to become standard for all newly constructed hospitals, the American Institute of Architects has announced. This is the first such recommendation since the guidelines were originally published by the federal government in 1947. Updated every four years by the Facility Guidelines Institute and published by the , the guidelines are currently used by 42 state governments to regulate hospital licensing and construction.
The recommendations were unanimously approved by a committee of physicians, hospital administrators, infection control experts, engineers, and architects, according to an AP story. Private rooms are more conducive to patient healing and recovery, said the committee, and they prevent disease transmission, reduce medical errors, and protect patients’ privacy. “Initial costs for all private rooms in hospitals will pay for themselves very quickly, and nursing units with private rooms are far less costly to operate,” said Scot Latimer, president of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health. “Hospitals will actually be able to run at a higher occupancy rate, as well as reduce the costs and safety risks that are associated with patient transfers.”
