6 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A R C H 2 0 1 8
Why are current ORs becoming antiquated?
There hasn't yet been an in-depth analysis of how ORs
can be redesigned to support current workflows and
minimize safety hazards. Building bigger rooms isn't
the solution — anesthesia providers and circulators
can still feel confined in their workstations while
many parts of the room go unused. Room layouts
need to match how surgical team members actu-
ally behave in spaces.
What will the OR of the future look like?
That's the million-dollar question. Procedures will
become more minimally invasive and the technology
needed to perform them will become more compact.
ORs will likely be able to flex and change to accommo-
date new surgeries and surgical platforms. We anticipate
building rooms with modular walls that can be modified as
types of surgery and equipment continue to evolve.
What factors will influence future surgical
designs?
It's not all about adding new devices or gadgets. Building ORs
that will be relevant demands a ground-level approach to
truly understand the work that's done in spaces, and
how surgical team members interact with each other
and with emerging technologies. We need to create a stan-
eimagining and
Reinventing Surgical Workspaces
R
Anjali Joseph, PhD, EDAC
Innovative healthcare architect and designer of tomorrow's OR
