Abstract
Objectives:
This article compares national standards for area measurements of
healthcare facilities in four countries and examines the risks
and differences that can arise when comparing building areas of
healthcare facilities internationally.
Background:
In the planning and management of healthcare facilities, the
utilization and comparison of building floor areas plays a major
role. Differences in terminology, classification, and
methodology help to reduce planning and cost risks when applied
on a local and national level. The proper allocation of building
floor space is vital in the design of room programs,
determination of floor space, construction costs, and operating
costs.
Methods:
Each of the four hospital area measurement standards is compared to
discern similarities and differences.
Results:
Most countries use a three-tier system of hospital area
measurement: building gross area, department gross area, and
department net area. Few differences were found between country
standards for department area, though the German standards do
not fully address this tier. Variation is found in whether a
country includes certain functions in the hospital area—such as
research space, shell space, or central energy plants—which can
have a significant impact on the overall hospital area.
Conclusions:
This article informs further development of individual country
standards and highlights principles to consider for
international hospital area comparison.
Collapse