Designing & Building a Successful Optometry Office Layout
The practice of optometry is among the most crucial medical fields. By taking care of patients’ eyes, optometrists perform a valuable service that all can benefit from. For optometrists to provide each patient with the care they deserve, it’s important for them to be able to work in an office that is thoughtfully designed, constructed, and laid out to be conducive to optometry work. Through a partnership with an experienced design and build construction company in the Twin Cities, your optometry practice can develop an office space that is perfect for the needs of your staff and your patients.
5 Tips for Optometry Clinic Design & Build
Follow these useful tips to achieve success through an optometry clinic design and build project in the Twin Cities metro.
- Lay Out Key Zones Strategically
An optometry clinic is composed of multiple important rooms. Obviously, there’s the patient reception area and the exam rooms, but there are also the pre-testing areas, storage room, eyewear display room, and more spaces that should be a part of a premier optometry clinic. An effective optometry office layout design and build process should take into account all of these rooms with important functions, making sure they are arranged in a manner that is logical and easily navigable for both clinic staff and patients. To maximize accessibility for patients, it’s probably best to have the reception area in front, followed by pre-testing and exam rooms. Meanwhile, storage areas and other staff-only sections can be kept out of sight toward the back of the clinic. These are the kinds of thoughtful decisions that should be made during an optometry clinic design and build project in the Twin Cities.
- Prioritize Accessibility
Many of the patients who visit your optometry clinic may have limited mobility that prevents them from using stairs or narrow doorways. To accommodate the needs of all, the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates strict guidelines for the accessibility of optometry office construction. Make sure that the entryway and all patient-accessed areas of your optometry clinic are designed and built to be convenient to enter and comfortable to sit in. It is also a good idea to establish handicapped parking spaces near the entrance to your clinic so that patients with mobility limitations won’t have a difficult time coming in for a check-up.
- Consider Hybrid Rooms
While it’s good to have designated spaces in which optometrists can complete their duties, too many rooms can overwhelm a space and result in an excessive budget. For the sake of convenience and efficiency, it may be better to design and build an optometry office layout with hybrid rooms that serve more than one function. For example, an eyewear display area with an optician present to answer questions could be incorporated into the patient reception area, rather than receiving a separate room.
- Make Patients Feel Welcome
One of the biggest things that turn people away from visiting an optometrist – or any kind of medical professional – is the thought of being trapped in a miserable waiting room forever. You can avoid this common clinic problem by creating spaces that are inviting and comforting to patients, placing particular emphasis on the reception and waiting area. Pay careful attention to lighting during your optometry office design and build; patients should feel welcome and be able to see easily, but interiors that are too brightly lit could be overwhelming to patients. Choose a mix of colors like blues and grays to create an aesthetic that is calming but not too sterile. It’s also never a bad idea to include some wall art and living plants to make your clinic feel less “clinical.”
- Protect Patient Privacy and Comfort
No one wants to take eye exams with a bunch of strangers watching them. Your optometry clinic in the Twin Cities metro should be designed and built with an emphasis on private exam rooms. These private rooms should be soundproof, well-lit without being too bright, and offer comfortable seating for patients. When patients are able to visit with their optometrist in a comfortable and private setting, they are much likelier to continue choosing your optometry office for their eye care needs.
Premier Optometry Office Construction Firm in the Twin Cities
Designing and constructing a first class optometry office can be accomplished most successfully through a partnership with an experienced construction firm. Contact Heritage Construction today if you’re interested in our optometry clinic construction services in the greater Twin Cities area!