Functional and Spatial Design of Emergency Departments Using Quality Function Deployment

Table 1

Design specifications for QFD-based ED design and their functions.

Design specification	Function
Initial admission and disaster management	Register and sort all patients coming to ED to decide if they will be treated in this ED, or will be directed to other medical services. This zone must be disaster-ready.
Patient arrival	Receive, register, identify the level of urgency, and handle ED patients upon arrival.
Patient treatment and admission	Provide care for unstable and critical patients, and low-acuity patients who stay for more than 2 hours.
Diagnostic unit	Radiology and laboratory tests.
Surgical unit	Plastering, performing minor procedures, and patient recovery.
Support services	Equipment storage, dirty and utility rooms, general stores, etc.
Administrative unit	Staff offices, stations, change rooms, lounge, seminar room, and library if needed.
Temporary buffer and discharge	Hosting patients who need less treatment, or are waiting for transportation, or are going to be admitted to inpatient care.