The Design of Physical Components of Endoscopy Units: A Case Study of Four Major Public Hospitals in Thailand

Endoscopists and medical practitioners of the Thai Association of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (TAGE) have raised critical concerns regarding vast variations in the design of endoscopy facilities. This study presents an overview of the design of gastrointestinal endoscopy units in Thailand. The case studies include six endoscopy units from four major public hospitals in Bangkok. The research methodology comprises three main parts. The first part is based on a literature review of international and local architectural design guidelines to understand and justify the research framework. The second part includes walk-through observations and documentation of the current condition. Finally, the obtained data were compared and analyzed using the framework derived from the literature review. The findings identified variations among case studies in three main aspects: (1) functional area requirements, (2) functional relationship and circulations for traffic flow, (3) detailed functional requirements. One of the causes of these design variations is related to the lack of local design guidelines. The findings support the need for design guideline establishment and implementation to ensure efficacy and safety, especially on the future adaptive reuse buildings that would turn into endoscopic units. Another noticeable finding is the circulation traffic flow planning of separation between dirty and clean corridors. Further research suggests investigating the potential and risk of implementing the non-separating corridors for more efficient use of space. The development of local design guidelines, including the three mentioned aspects with the adjustment to the local context, would be highly beneficial to the healthcare system.