When designing a hospital, there are wide-ranging considerations for security, convenience, and safety (for patients, visitors, and staff alike), along with energy efficiency and resilience in the face of disasters. These are weighty topics requiring input from virtually every department in the hospital. Together, they form the ‘Environment of Care’ (EOC).
The EOC comprises three basic elements: building and space, equipment, and people. The first step in planning for this complex environment is to identify the stakeholders and decision-makers invested in the outcomes—whether related to compliance, the delivery of care, or the successful protection of people and assets.
While design/construction professionals are obviously not part of all the related choices and factors in a healthcare project’s creation and operations, their decisions and collaboration with the building owners can have important impacts—especially when it comes to security, access control, egress, and the choice of door hardware.
This topic is covered in greater depth in The Construction Specifier’s newest sponsored e-book, “Unlocking the Secrets of Door Hardware.” To download it, visit http://www.constructionspecifier.com/ebook/hafele-unlocking-the-secrets-to-door-hardware-e-book.
