For Immediate Release (06/10/09)

New Article to Be Published on Trends in Radiology Design and Operations

Architecture for Radiology, LLP --- the only architecture firm in the United States that specializes exclusively in radiology facility planning and design --- is pleased to announce the upcoming publication of an article on recent trends in radiology design and radiology planning. 

The article will be published in the July 2009 edition of Hospital Newspaper.

The article discusses the latests trends in radiology design and radiology planning, including the following issues:

- The fields of radiology and design for radiology have undergone numerous changes due to groundbreaking advances in technology,

- Development of digital imaging and PACS (picture archiving and communication systems)

- Rethinking the radiology environment from the point of view of patients, radiologist and staff, with the general goals of radiology facilities which increase patient and staff comfort, patient privacy, staff safety, and greater efficiency, speed, and through-put in the radiology workflow..

- Significant increases in worker productivity and improvements in the radiology workflow

- Eliminating film developing facilities, and also eliminating --- or at least drastically reducing --- the need for physical storage of hard copy films.

- Increases in legibility and reliability of scans

- Quicker responsiveness to patients.

- Reading room design.

- Ergonometrics for the new digital reading room

- Contemporary reading room must allow for future adaptability.

- Making the radiologists’ reading stations more comfortable, easier to use, and allowing for more control over the environment. Some more specific reading room design initiatives are listed below:

- Limiting Distractions

- Climate Control

- Seating and Positioning Adjustability

- Lighting specifications

- Unification of Systems

- Advances in scanning technologies. Among the most significant: 3.0T MRI’s are the upcoming standard in MRI design, multi-slice CT’s are the same for cat scan design, and digital mammography in the latest in mammography design.

- Mobile scanning equipment, such as portable CT

- Improvements in patient’s experience

- Philips “Ambient Experience”

- Relative growth of private practice radiology over academic, hospital-based radiology

- Opportunities for further development and improvement in the design of radiology facilities

- Patient comfort within the scanning machines s

- Advantages to separating healthy outpatients from very sick inpatients
- Separating women into a women’s center vs. co-mingling male and female throughout
- How the equipment will be changed out in future vs. concern exclusively with initial equipment access to space
- Green design --- eco-friendly design that is good for the environment as well as the patient --- is working its way through the healthcare environment, including the radiology department.
- Increased use of interventional radiology and surgical codes

The above article was written by the Ian Janer and William N. Bernstein, LEED®AP, AIA, of the well-known radiology design firm of Architecture for Radiology. The firm’s principle, Mr. Bernstein, is a well-known architect and radiology consultant in radiology department planning and design. Mr. Bernstein is a graduate of the Yale University School of Architecture, who has specialized in healthcare design and construction for over 30 years.

About Architecture for Radiology, LLP: This architectural company specializes in radiology planning and design. The firm is an award-winning architectural design firm specializing in the design and planning of radiology facilities including experienced radiology room designers.

The firm takes pride in providing the highest level of healthcare and hospital design work, with additional expertise in sustainable radiology facilities, energy saving measures for radiology facilities, cost reduction strategies for radiology facilities, radiology facility safety and patient safety.

For more information about radiology planning, design and construction, please contact: